The transfer plans at Real Madrid are taking an unexpected turn as they put their pursuit of star forwards on hold, fueling speculation about their obsession with Kylian Mbappe.
Over the past few days, the talk has been that Real Madrid won’t sign any further players. Their last signing of the 2023 summer is Joselu from Espanyol. And, according to Melchor Ruiz , people at the club believe they have enough forwards to go past the 2023/24 season.
Real Madrid will not sign any other player after Joselu. The club believes it has enough numbers with Vinicius and Rodrygo and with the versatility of Brahim Diaz and Álvaro Rodríguez who can play in several positions.
— @MelchorRuizCope pic.twitter.com/GxHefkYhWC
— Madrid Universal (@MadridUniversal) June 18, 2023
Real Madrid parted ways with Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio, Mariano Díaz and Eden Hazard after the end of the 2022/23 season. While Hazard and Diaz were never really regulars, they did provide the much-needed squad depth. As far as Asensio and Benzema are concerned, the duo were important first-team players, with the Frenchman being their skipper.
The departure of all four of them in a matter of a couple of days left Los Blancos with only two official first-team forwards, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes. Everyone expected Florentino Pérez to go big in the summer and sign star forwards.
Real Madrid were linked with Harry Kane, Lautaro Martinez, and Victor Osimhen among others. Ever since they were thrashed 4-0 by Manchester City, reports suggested it was going to be a big summer for Real Madrid. But, it seems the plans have changed.
While they have signed the teenage midfield sensation Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund in a big-money move, the team in white were expected to splash the cash on acquiring forwards. Bellingham’s arrival will surely smoothen the transition in the centre of the park. But the attack might suffer in the upcoming season.
Real Madrid’s not-so-reliable attack
Forwards: Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes, Brahim Diaz (has returned after being out on loan), Joselu (Loaned In), Alvaro Rodriguez (will be promoted to the first team)
Given that Real Madrid have versatile forwards as well as Federico Valverde who can slot in as a forward, let us have a look at the positions these players can play at:
Strikers: Joselu, Rodrygo, Alvaro
Left-wing: Vinicius, Rodrygo, Alvaro, Diaz
Right-wing: Rodrygo, Valverde, Diaz, Vinicius
Attacking-midfielder:Brahim Diaz, Rodrygo
While Real Madrid have managed to cover all bases by bringing back Diaz and re-signing Joselu on loan. They do not really have the same threat that they once had with Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio in the lineup. While Vinicius and Rodrygo are two world-class forwards, they are still young and lack the much-needed experience.
The Frenchman guaranteed around 30 goals a season, and Asensio could easily chip in with over a dozen despite being used as a substitute on the majority of occasions. Joselu will surely add goals. But expecting the 33-year-old to go from 17 goals in a season to 30 in the next might be too much to ask from him.
Real Madrid can surely cope with the loss of their star striker and winger with a collective effort from their new players and the Brazilian duo of Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo. But, for that to happen, each of their players needs to have a decent season in front of goal.
For once, a Real Madrid fan can convince himself that this attack can get the job done in the league and the Champions League. But, what they will be more worried about is the depth in the striker’s department.
Last time around, Carlo Ancelotti’s men struggled as they did not have a cover for Karim Benzema. Alvaro was the only other striking option, but he did not have enough first-team experience and similar is the case for next season.
If Joselu gets injured or is suspended, they will have to shift towards Rodrygo to fill in. Given the number of competitions in which Real Madrid take part, they need to have at least two world-class strikers along with a decent cover. So at this point in time, Los Blancos surely are well short of what they should have and might fail to repeat the numbers from last season.
The Kylian Mbappe obsession has returned
What could be the possible reason for Real Madrid to stop pushing for another forward when they clearly need one? Well, the answer seems obvious even though there are no such reports circulating. It has to be their obsession with Kylian Mbappe.
The Frenchman sent a letter to the Paris Saint-Germain board a few days back and confirmed that he won’t extend his contract until the summer of 2025. And, with his contract running out in 2024, PSG are now ready to offload him this summer.
However, the player has said that he is keen on continuing at PSG. He is looking to run down his contract at PSG and then join Los Blancos as a free agent next summer.
MENSONGES…❌
En même temps plus c’est gros plus ça passe. J’ai déjà dis que je vais continuer la saison prochaine au PSG où je suis très heureux. https://t.co/QTsoBQvZKU— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) June 13, 2023
So if he is looking to join as a free agent, why have Real Madrid decided to take a back seat this summer? Because Mbappe will cost them a significant amount in wages and there could be a record-breaking joining bonus.
On top of that, Real Madrid not pushing for another forward could be a tactical move by Florentino Perez. They could place a bid for the 24-year-old late in the window and PSG could accept it given that they can’t risk losing out on him for free. But, do they really need Mbappe, is the obsession worth it?
The reality is quite clear as they already have quality wingers in their team. And given that Mbappe prefers playing on the left, signing him might not be a problem for their new number ‘7’ Vinicius. However, if either Mbappe or Vinicius start playing as a striker, they could form a deadly player.
But, is it the only reason they are not pushing for any further signings? Because if the Mbappe obsession is the only reason then Real Madrid really need to rethink their plans as they not only need reinforcement in attack, they also need to sign full-backs to once again challenge for all major titles.
