Kylian Mbappe has been challenged by football legend Thierry Henry, who insists the Real Madrid striker must “play better” despite his goal-scoring record this season, Soccernet.football reports.
Mbappe, who joined Madrid in a blockbuster summer transfer, failed to score in his side’s 5-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, sparking Henry’s blunt assessment.
While Mbappe has netted eight goals in 13 appearances since his high-profile move, Henry believes that goals alone won’t be enough to satisfy the demanding Real Madrid fan base.
Speaking on CBS SportsGolazo, Henry emphasised that Madrid have not yet seen the best of the 25-year-old striker.
“He’s scoring goals but he’s not playing as well, so that’s what they’re going to call out,” Henry said. “If you play really well and you don’t score goals, they say ‘yeah you play really well but you don’t score goals’.
“We can talk about [Erling] Haaland to an extent; he scores goals but we always say ‘he could do a bit better with his back to the net and how he can link up with players’, and stuff like that. So it comes with how you deal with being a Real Madrid player. It’s very difficult but it comes with the shirt. And you have to deal with that.
“Is he playing the best that we’ve seen him play from his days at Paris Saint-Germain? No, but he still has to learn – and I know it’s weird to say that – or play better as a nine, which is very difficult for him at the minute. But he’s scoring goals and it’s not enough at times in clubs like that. Although the Clasico’s around the corner, they’re three points behind Barcelona so you never know what can happen.”
Despite Mbappe’s contributions, it’s Vinicius Junior who has been stealing the limelight in Madrid’s evolving attack.
While many predict a new era of dominance for the Spanish giants, Mbappe faces the unique challenge of not being the main man in the team, an adjustment that is taking time.
Henry added that in clubs like Real Madrid, merely scoring goals isn’t enough: “When you wear that jersey, they don’t give you a lot of time.”
As Real Madrid prepare for a crucial clash against Barcelona in the upcoming El Clasico, a standout performance from Mbappe could go a long way in silencing his critics.
A goal or two on Saturday would remind fans of his undeniable talent, despite Henry’s call for more from the French forward.