Olivier Giroud has hailed Mason Mount and Kai Havertz as ‘different class’ and backed both Chelsea players to reach the very top of the game.
Giroud shared a dressing room with Mount and Havertz at Chelsea and the trio helped Thomas Tuchel’s side win the Champions League last campaign.
Mount broke into the team under former head coach Frank Lampard and has gone on to play 116 matches for the club , while also establishing himself as a regular for England.
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Germany international Havertz, meanwhile, has scored ten goals for Chelsea, including the winning goal in last season’s Champions League final against Man City.
Asked to name the most talented footballers he has ever played with during his career, AC Milan forward Giroud told Tribal Football: ‘One of the best players I played with at Arsenal was Santi Cazorla.
‘And at Chelsea, Eden Hazard, and there were so many young talented players at Chelsea as well.
‘Mason [Mount] and Kai Havertz, different class, different quality, and I’m looking forward to seeing them grow up and become top players.’
When asked whether he believes Mount is underrated given his quality, Giroud said: ‘Yeah, maybe, but you don’t need to listen to these people. ‘Mason has got that quality and mentality to go very high, I’ve told him. He deserves to be successful, definitely.’
Despite helping the Blues to Champions League glory last season, Havertz has largely flattered to deceive at Stamford Bridge.
On Tuesday, Thomas Tuchel urged the German to provide more goals and assists and return to his best. He said: ‘That’s a fact [he’s not at the level of last season], ‘He does everything to reach his level again and we will do everything to help him.
‘He is an important player for our squad and it will be like this at the moment. He had many games to start with, he started strong in the season. He was very strong in pre-season.
‘The story has not changed, but he lacks, as simple as that, the statistics of decisive things, of goals and assists and he needs to fight his way back into the team.
‘And he gets minutes and this can happen anytime. We trust in him and we believe in him and the rest has to come from him and he’s willing to do so.
‘He’s in good shape and a good mental state. He knows what he’s fighting for and that’s the situation right now.’
