‘Just too good’ – M’Baye Niang claims Pato surpassed Kylian Mbappé in talent

Former AC Milan striker M’Baye Niang has sparked a heated football debate by claiming that his former teammate Alexandre Pato possessed a higher level of natural talent than French superstar Kylian Mbappé.

Speaking during a recent interview on the beIN SPORTS program SafePlay, Niang reflected on his time at the San Siro, describing Pato’s peak abilities as “shocking” and unlike anything he has seen from the game’s current elite.

Niang, who shared the locker room with legendary figures like Robinho and Gennaro Gattuso during the early 2010s, insisted that Pato was the standout among them.

“At Milan , you had Robinho, (Pippo) Inzaghi, and (Rino) Gattuso too. But the guy who shocked me—it’s a shame he got injured so much—was Pato.

“From what I saw of Pato, even (Kylian) Mbappé doesn’t do that. And we’re talking about Mbappé. Right foot, left foot, strength, header, powerful… He had thighs like that, you’d be scared.

“Your two thighs were one thigh to him. And he was fast. But he had a lot of physical problems, he was with (Silvio) Berlusconi’s daughter, may he rest in peace, he was always getting injured and it was complicated. But he was just too good.”

While Mbappé has leveraged his talent into a decade of dominance—most recently netting 23 goals in 24 league matches for Real Madrid this season—Pato’s career at the highest level was famously cut short by muscle issues before he eventually retired following stints in Brazil and China.

The comments have trended across social media, reigniting discussions about the “lost” generation of Milan talents.