"It's not a name problem, but knowing who could replace Kylian if he leaves, how to successfully associate players capable of having fun together," said Jean-Marc Pilorget, record holder for matches with PSG ( 435).

For the former defender, the "MNM" Lionel Messi-Neymar-Mbappé is "an acknowledgment of failure for the club: associating three of the best players in the world proves that adding names does not make a team".

If it is necessary to change the system after Mbappé, Luis Fernandez, champion in Paris with Pilorget in 1986, would not be "afraid to play with four attackers: Ney on the left side, Messi behind the attacker, and therefore a point and a guy on the right side".

Another former PSG captain, Dominique Bathenay, also believes that "if Mbappé left, we would have to adapt to the two players who remain in front, Neymar and Messi".

"You need a player who plays with them, compatible, continues the former left-hander, like Luis Suarez was in Barcelona (in the "MSN" trio, Ed), a profile like Wissam Ben Yedder, for example, who combines with the two without stopping in small spaces, one-two, one-two-three..."

"Unlimited Means"

With Qatar's "unlimited means", underline Pilorget, Fernandez and Bathenay, all the big names in football are possible.

Antony, the Brazilian striker of Ajax Amsterdam, during the Eredivisie match against Feyenoord Rotterdam, in Amsterdam on March 20, 2022 MAURICE VAN STEEN ANP/AFP

"Luis", consultant for beIN Sports, throws several names of possible successors on the table.

"For the right side, I like Antony, the Brazilian from Ajax, or Salah, if he left Liverpool, and at the top Darwin Nunez (the Uruguayan from Benfica) or (Romelu) Lukaku", the Belgian who doesn't play much at Chelsea anymore.

On the other hand, Luis Fernandez knows that the options Erling Haaland, who joined Manchester City, and Dusan Vlahovic, recruited this winter by Juventus, have faded.

But the 1984 European champion has other ideas in mind.

"You already have to see with the attackers who have stayed at the club, he says. (Mauro) Icardi has all the difficulty in the world to get into the rhythm this season, but I knew Rai (when Luis was coach, editor's note), they all wanted him to go and we were able to revive him."

Finally Fernandez "thinks that Messi will have a better season, he has a World Cup to play (in November-December), like Neymar, they have to start well".

"Stack the Ballons d'Or"

None of the three former Parisians is following the trail of Robert Lewandowski (33), who will leave Bayern Munich.

"With him, you don't have to have a team against but who masters the game, and guys on the sides", notes Jean-Marc Pilorget.

"Are Messi and Neymar going to overflow and cross to put balls in the box" for "Lewy"? Asks Fernandez.

"And then Lewandowski, he wants to play at Barça, and when a player is decided... Finally, I take it with my eyes closed, huh!"

Bathenay cites the hypothesis "Gabriel Jesus, who may leave Manchester City, a point but who also dezones, able to store, to combine in small spaces without stopping, one-two, one-two-three" .

As for the crazy idea of ​​​​associating Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, even aging, Bathenay underlines the word "aging" in the question and evokes a "one shot" (a one-time shot, editor's note).

"You can always add names, pile up the Ballons d'Or, but this season the three (Messi, Ney, Mbappé) have taken a long time to be able to play together. We think it's easy, but even Messi needs support. 'a time of adaptation.

Liverpool's Egyptian attacking midfielder Mohamed Salah with the FA Cup trophy after winning the final against Chelsea in London on May 14, 2022 Ben Stansall AFP

The possible succession of Mbappé promises to be complicated.

© 2022 AFP