Former Manchester United & Arsenal defender Mikaël Silvestre on esports, Harry Kane & more

Mikaël Silvestre enjoyed a career that spanned almost 400 club games and earned him 40 caps for France.

Turning out for the likes of European giants Inter Milan, Manchester United, Arsenal and Werder Bremen, he's since moved into esports with his new venture, Talent Lyfe. The agency, which represents esports athletes, is backed by Galaxy Racer.

GGRecon caught up with Silvestre to talk about his new project, his history with gaming, and the fates of his former clubs and their transfer business.

You’re the CEO and founder of Talent Lyfe, an agency that was backed by Galaxy Racer, an esports organisation. Do you mind please explaining to our readers your involvement with esports and Talent Lyfe’s offering?

“Well it’s a different crossover. The players we look after are part of this generation that were born with a remote control in their hands. It’s normal and it’s part of their hobbies to play video games and take part in esports activities.

"Talent Lyfe and Galaxy Racer add value to each other by being partners and in fact, Galaxy Racer is building an esports team for Diogo Jota and has been doing some tournaments across the Middle East. We have many players that are involved with FIFA, as well as various other games, and they play games often whilst they’re travelling from one game to another. Having Galaxy Racer as a partner made sense from day one.”

Are you, or were you, an avid gamer?

“No, I wasn’t at all. I didn’t progress. When I play with my son he’s kicking my ass, so there’s no point. I follow the trends, I know the games and I’m aware of the competitions and the growth of the industry. It’s amazing to see how fast it’s developing.

“When I was at Arsenal, the guys would play Mario Kart online and it was fun to see them all playing together and shouting at each other. It was part of our team building and it was good and lively to be around.”

Tottenham’s majority owner Joe Lewis has reportedly told Daniel Levy that he needs to sell Harry Kane this summer, if the England captain refuses to sign a new contract at the club this summer. This news has now led to speculation suggesting that Manchester United could take advantage of this situation, by matching or bettering any offer Bayern Munich make for Kane. Do you believe there’s a chance that Harry could make the move to Old Trafford this summer?

“Yes, I believe there’s a big chance. I think it would be a good match for both parties. For Harry, he will have Bruno Fernandes, Christian Eriksen, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho around him, creating chances for him.

"Many players in Manchester United’s squad are British too, so that’s another positive for him. Harry has the quality to deliver and he will receive a lot of assists in that Manchester United team, that’s all I’m thinking about when I’m thinking about the move from Harry’s perspective. 

“He knows about the Premier League, he knows about Manchester United and I’m sure he would become an icon for the club if he was to sign for them. The Premier League is the most competitive league in the world and it’s been that way for quite some time.

"Harry’s a competitor and I believe the Premier League is the best environment for him because every single fixture has the prospect of being unpredictable. As a player, considering the stadiums and the atmosphere, there’s no better league to be involved in.”

If Manchester United don’t move for Harry, then it looks as if your former club is going to make a move for Atalanta and Denmark striker Rasmus Højlund instead. Would you be excited by this signing, or do you believe it’s an underwhelming move considering that the original target was believed to be Harry Kane at the start of the summer?

“Harry Kane and Rasmus Højlund are two different propositions for Manchester United. You have the finished article and superstar in Harry Kane and then you have the young, up-and-coming talent in Højlund. These two players are not in the same bracket and I believe the number one target should be Harry Kane and the second choice target should be Højlund.”

What are your thoughts on the additions of both Mason Mount and André Onana. Do you have reservations about either player, or do you believe they’ll greatly improve Erik ten Hag’s team?

“I believe they will both improve the team. I believe with Mason Mount, his age and dynamism, that he can do a lot of great things for Manchester United this season. He’s got a great work rate, a wonderful attitude and he’s an England international, so I believe it’s a very positive addition to the squad.

“Whenever I’ve seen André Onana play previously, he’s been very impressive. He’s another very good addition for Manchester United and he will help the team to be strong at the back and make Old Trafford even more of a fortress for the team. His distribution is a very good asset offensively and due to how calm he is on the ball, he will fill his teammates with confidence.” 

Erik ten Hag is reportedly looking to sign a new defensive midfielder this summer, with Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat said to be the priority target. He was outstanding at the World Cup for Morocco and in your opinion, do you believe he’d be a suitable deputy for Casemiro, if the Brazilian was ever to be injured or suspended?

“Unless Scott [McTominay] or Fred leaves this summer, then there’s no room for Sofyan at the moment, but things can change between now and the end of the transfer window. We just need to wait and see in this particular case. He’s evidently a good player but in all honesty, I’m not overwhelmed with that link.”

Erik ten Hag has officially stripped Harry Maguire of the Manchester United captaincy. Do you believe Harry has been treated unfairly or were you impressed by Erik ten Hag’s ruthless decision? Regardless, do you believe Harry needs to leave Manchester United this summer?

“The captaincy should always go to a player that plays every game. If your team plays 55 games across a season, then you should expect your captain to play 55 games. That’s how I see things. You need a captain that’s consistent, has influence and for those reasons, it’s completely understandable that Bruno Fernandes was awarded the captaincy.

“Regarding whether Harry Maguire should stay or go, then that all depends on how much gametime he’s going to get at Manchester United next season. If he’s not going to play often, then it’s probably best for him to leave this summer and find the right project for himself that will give him the best opportunity to continue playing for England.

"It would be good to see him enjoying himself because the last few months have been a frustrating period for him.”

Marcus Rashford has signed a new long-term contract at Manchester United. He will be one of the club’s biggest earners on a reported £325,000-a-week. Do you expect Rashford to continue to improve next season or could being on such an enormous salary potential hinder the development of a player of his age especially?

“I believe he will continue to deliver next season and score a lot of goals. I believe he’s reaching his peak and he’s shown that he’s capable of bouncing back from tough periods. He’s central to Manchester United’s rebuilding and as he’s from the club’s academy, it’s excellent that he’s been able to sign a new contract and continue his development at Old Trafford. It’s very good news for the club.”

Jadon Sancho is believed to be one of the number of players that Erik ten Hag is open to selling this summer. If this rumour is correct, then do you believe it would be too premature of your former club to sell Jadon?

“Jadon came back into the frame after a period out last season and he was performing well, so I don’t believe there’s any truth to these rumours. He will be an asset for Manchester United this season, he just needs greater consistency. That’s all he has to do.”

Moving onto Arsenal, another of your former clubs, do you believe Declan Rice is a £105 million player? Are you surprised that your former club paid so much for him?

“The market decides the prices. The valuation is what it is and Arsenal were prepared to pay the price for Declan, so it proves how highly they value his ability. English teams have to pay a premium for English players, so if Declan Rice was German, Spanish or Italian, then he wouldn’t have cost that much money. If you’re an English player playing in the Premier League, then you’re going to cost a lot of money. We’ve seen it before when Manchester United paid Leicester City £80 million for Harry Maguire. 

“What matters is what Declan will deliver on the pitch. He has the right attitude and mental strength to overcome the pressure that comes with being bought for such a fee and I believe he will be a wonderful signing for Arsenal. Arsenal’s forward players will be happy to see Declan in the team as he will create plenty of chances for them and once Declan begins to deliver, people will stop talking about his price tag.” 

Despite the signing of Declan Rice this month, it’s been reported that Arsenal still have an interest in Brighton midfielder Moisés Caicedo, with the Gunners said to be considering offering their young American striker Folarin Balogun as part of the deal. Do you believe Arsenal need to sign Caicedo if they already have Rice?

“I believe Declan and Moisés could play together, but the thing at the moment is that Arsenal already have Mohamed Elneny and Thomas Partey on their books. Elneny will be fit again soon and Partey is being linked with a move away from the club, but ultimately you need to fill every position with two players. It’s not rocket science, if one player moves then another player will have to come in and replace them.

“The main issue is that Caicedo’s price tag could be too much for Arsenal considering how much they’ve already spent in this summer’s transfer window. You can’t spend too much in one window as you need to consider Financial Fair Play, so Arsenal spending around £100 million on Moisés Caicedo is unlikely to happen in my opinion.”

What was your instant reaction to Arsenal signing Kai Havertz from Chelsea? Despite an inconsistent time at Chelsea, do you believe that Havertz will be a success as an Arsenal player?

“I have no doubts about the player. When Chelsea was doing well, Kai Havertz was excellent, but last season every player at Chelsea struggled on the pitch. I believe Kai is going to deliver under the stewardship of Mikel Arteta and I really believe that we’re all going to see the best of him when he’s playing for the Gunners.”

Do you believe Arsenal will challenge for the Premier League title again next season? Who do you believe will be Manchester City’s closest rivals for the Premier League crown?

“I believe that Arsenal will challenge again next season and I believe that Manchester United will close the gap at the top too. That’s about it. I don’t know where Liverpool will be to be honest, because it’s difficult to anticipate what’s going to happen at this moment. My prediction is that Arsenal and Manchester United will be Manchester City’s closest challengers.”

If Arsenal start next season slowly, then how much pressure would Mikel Arteta be under?

“I have no doubt that Arsenal will continue to progress under Mikel Arteta. They’ill get plenty of points, be tight defensively and score plenty of goals both home and away. This team has found their way of playing, their confidence is high and the players are young and hungry. They know they were close last year, so they will be hungry for more next season and I don’t see any reason why this team shouldn’t improve even more.”

Kylian Mbappé has sensationally been put up for sale by Paris Saint-Germain and is the subject of a €300 million bid from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, where he could earn a staggering €13 million a week in wages. Do you believe Kylian could refuse that sort of money? Do you believe there’s any chance that Kylian could make a move to the Premier League this summer? Do you believe if he refuses to leave PSG this summer, as it’s most likely that he will be moving to Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer of 2024 instead if reports are to be believed, that PSG will freeze Mbappé out for the entire season? Could they afford to do that?

“If you ask me right now what I think is going to happen, then I believe that Kylian Mbappé will stay at PSG until his contract expires. I don’t believe he would want to make the move to Saudi Arabia, but his issue in Paris is that he either signs a new contract or he doesn’t sign a new contract and is left out of the team. That’s how I read the situation.

"I don’t believe the move to Saudi Arabia would appeal to him, despite the huge financial proposal he’s been offered and that it’s a big, emerging project. The Saudi league wants to bring in plenty of top talent, but I don’t expect Kylian to go there now as I don’t believe that money is a driving factor in his decision-making.

"Didier Deschamps would be unhappy to see his captain and main striker going to play in Saudi Arabia when he has to prepare for Euro 2024 in Germany. I believe this situation will be ongoing until the end of the transfer window.

“The best thing for everybody would be for Real Madrid to try and sign him for a fee this summer. This would put everybody at ease. Real Madrid has lost Karim Benzema and they don’t have that superstar striker that they’ve always had.

"They should sign a major striker this summer if they want to win the La Liga title back from Barcelona. They didn’t get to the Champions League final last season too, so the club needs to react in the transfer market. I know they’ve spent €100 million on Jude Bellingham but if they want to be majorly successful next season, then they should sign Kylian now.”