Former Chelsea and Arsenal striker Nicolas Anelka said Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi was "not so good" now.
Messi won the Ballon d'Or six times while in Barcelona. His contract with the Spanish giants expires this summer.
They wanted to keep him, but they couldn't do it because of the ongoing financial difficulties.
Messi opted for a free transfer to join Paris Saint-Germain. So far this semester, he has struggled as he has not scored in his first five Ligue 1 matches.
However, the 34-year-old has already scored goals in the Champions League. He scored three goals in his first three group games for PSG.
Paris faces Lille on Friday night. They beat their Ligue 1 opponents 2-1, but Messi was eliminated at halftime with a score of 1-0.
According to the Daily Mail, Anelka believes that PSG's players are not the same:
"Today we asked for Neymar, but we could do the same with Messi. This is not special since the beginning of this season. There's one player who has six Ballon d'Ors, but it's not that good in the end.
He added: "[Neymar] is going through a tough time. If the coach thinks he has to play to get back to level, he'll let him play. Putting it aside or replacing it to break their morale won't solve the problem.
"In addition, he is well paid and he is a star in French and even world football. He's one of the best players in the league, though now he's trying to show that.
"He can't do anything, and after that, he can do anything on the pitch. You never know what's going to happen to him on the pitch. Pochettino trusts him and the team will continue to win even if Neymar is not in good health. ”
Elsewhere, Thierry Henry hinted at Messi's "isolation" at Paris Saint-Germain:
"He [Messi] was isolated, he had fewer possessions and I wouldn't say he was sad, but he was isolated. I prefer him from the middle.
"I'm having trouble with Messi on the right. In the middle, he can set the rhythm.
'Something needs to be found to get Mbappe, Neymar and Messi to play together.