The Dortmund manager ranks both the teenager and the Chelsea star over the England and Belgium star strikers
Kylian Mbappe and Eden Hazard would be Lucien Favre’s two picks if he could sign anyone, with the Borussia Dortmund manager saying he would pass on Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku and Robert Lewandowski.
Mbappe’s rising star reached new heights this summer as he was instrumental in France’s victory in the 2018 World Cup.
The star has show no signs of slowing down, scoring twice as a substitute in his season debut for Paris Saint-Germain in a 3-1 win over Guingamp.
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Hazard also had a strong tournament in Russia, playing a key role in Belgium’s run to the semi-final, which saw the Red Devils finish third overall.
Despite the fact that Hazard’s international team-mate, Lukaku, was also excellent in Russia, and Kane won the Golden Boot for most goals scored in the World Cup, Favre told SPORTbild if given the money, he would pick Mbappe and Hazard over everyone else.
“Kylian Mbappe and Eden Hazard! But this is just fun, ” Favre told Bild when asked who he would take between Kane, Lukaku and Lewandowski. “Mbappé is unbelievable. He is 19 and so mature, so clever. He makes the difference with a lot of intelligence. He can play for the collective, is fast.
“And if Eden Hazard has the ball – oh, la, la – he is physically gifted. It’s a pleasure to see him.”
Favre is set for his debut as Dortmund coach in the Bundesliga this weekend against RB Leipzig after narrowly escaping a DFB Pokal shocker against Greuther Furth in extra-time on Monday.
The manager is looking to lead the team back after a disappointing campaign last season under Peter Bosz and Peter Stoger but warns that, while the goal is to win the Bundesliga crown, that is not something that is going to happen overnight.
“Of course, our goal is to build a team that can win titles in the long run – I can say that clearly,” Favre said. “But sometimes it takes two, three years.
“I know how great the hopes are here. On vacation, I met a lot of fans, and they all told me: now BVB is chasing Bayern again, now it’s going to be exciting again. “
“It does not work that fast. Please leave us some time! BVB has called it a new start.”
That fresh start lacks a centre-forward as the club have been unable to find a permanent replacement for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who left for Arsenal last January.
Michy Batshuayi had success on loan for Dortmund, but ultimately returned to Chelsea, and Favre admitted the market makes it difficult to bring in someone new.
“It’s not easy to find a suitable player,” he said. “The transfer fees are crazy, but I accept that without any problems. It will be our job to find a solution. “