"Death of one king and the rise of another" - Emmanuel Petit slams PSG superstar Lionel Messi's 'oversized ego' and makes interesting Kylian Mbappe claim 

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) ace Lionel Messi has come under fire for disappointing performances lately, and the latest to chime in negatively on the star is Emmanuel Petit.

The French World Cup winner isn't impressed with the Argentine's displays but hopes to see him succeed in his new surroundings with time.

Speaking to RMC Sport as replayed by PSG Talk, the 1998 World Cup winner said:

“I feel genuine pain when I watch Messi on the pitch. We all want him to succeed, to take our hand and tell us a story like he told thousands in Barcelona."

“I don’t want to pit Messi against Mbappé. But for several months, we have been witnessing the death of one king and the rise of another.”

Mbappe has truly been the star of PSG's 2021-22 campaign with 22 goals and 16 assists in 33 games.

He's outperformed both Messi and Neymar to emerge as their talisman and carried the side on his broad shoulders in tough moments. He recently scored a stoppage-time winner in the crucial Champions League Round of 16 first-leg tie against Real Madrid.

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PSG ace past his best?

PSG's 15-game unbeaten run in the league ended following a stunning 3-1 loss to Nantes on Saturday, in a game in which Messi fired a blank once again.

It wasn't a disappointing performance by any means, however, as the Argentine bagged an assist for Neymar's goal and made some excellent ball recoveries.

However, Petit questioned his ability to consistently deliver for his side with the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner turning 35 in June. The former midfielder said the Messi of Barca might never be seen again constantly..

The Frenchman added:

“I know that this guy has an oversized ego, but at some point, he will have to understand that as long as he is not well, especially mentally, he will not be able to become the Messi of Barça again.

“I hope that by the end of the season, we will be able to see the great Messi intermittently, but over time it is no longer possible.”

Messi has struck only twice in Ligue 1 from 15 games, but has five goals in six Champions League games, although he couldn't find the net against Real Madrid on Tuesday. He crucially missed a penalty in the game and will be looking to perform better in the second leg on 9 March.