Chelsea legend suggests ‘lazy’ Kylian Mbappe could cause France issues, makes Eden Hazard comparison

Chelsea legend Frank Lampard believes France international striker Kylian Mbappe could do much better for Les Bleus in the attacking department. While the retired midfielder hailed the World Cup winner, he also compared him to Eden Hazard for apparently being lazy.

Mbappe is one of the most successful players in the world, winning the FIFA World Cup once (in 2018) and reaching the final (in 2022) in his two appearances. He is also the highest all-time goalscorer for French giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) with 256 goals from 308 games.

Lampard discussed The Real Madrid forward in a recent interview with the BBC, saying:

"I'm sitting here talking with Alan [Shearer] about a striker, a goal-getter's mentality. There are too many times when he's not in the area that the ball might drop in to get goals. His numbers are still huge in his career but I would be a bit frustrated with him. I understand that he runs but, when you sense danger, when you sense buildup, you've got to get yourself in and around those little attacking areas."

He next compared the French superstar to retired Belgian forward Eden Hazard, saying:

"I think, because he's so good, I'd relate it to playing with Eden Hazard. I missed his best years at Chelsea but Chelsea found a way to work around him and let Eden cheat a little bit without the ball, to let him be slightly lazy - because of what his input was, in a similar way to that [Mbappé]."

Lampard concluded by insisting the forward is special and deserved concessions, saying:

"With players that special, you have to find a way - but there is a balance to that. You work around that but you have to find a balance in the team."

Kylian Mbappe is currently at Euro 2024 with France, hoping to lead Les Bleus to glory for the first time in 24 years.

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Kylian Mbappe scores first Euros goal as France draw with Poland

France captain Kylian Mbappe got his first European Championship goal on Tuesday (June 25) with his 56th-minute penalty against Poland. Prior to this, the 25-year-old had played five games in the competition without finding the back of the net but had assisted three times.

Mbappe is one of the most prolific players in his nation's history, having scored 48 goals and provided 34 assists in his 81 games across competitions.

Kylian Mbappe's strike was not enough to secure victory for France in their final Group D game. Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski also converted from the spot in the 79th minute to level the scores and see Les Bleus finish second behind Austria.