European giants Real Madrid are desperate to bring Kylian Mbappe to Santiago Bernabeu, but their obsession over the Frenchman could lead to their downfall.
Kylian Mbappe has been on the radar of Real Madrid for a while now. But, Los Blancos have not managed to strike a deal for the French superstar. They were very close to landing him before the start of the ongoing season. But, it was not meant to be.
Mbappe’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain was set to expire, and he was on his way to Madrid. But, things took a sharp turn in favour of PSG as the French international penned a new three-year deal with the club.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was eager to present his newest ‘Galactico’ to the fans. But unfortunately, things did not go according to plan. Mbappe’s new contract at PSG came as a shock.
Real Madrid fans, who were waiting for his arrival for the past few years, felt betrayed. And all of a sudden, Los Blancos were given a reality check. There is a belief that the lucrative contract and France president’s involvement were key in his renewal.
Irrespective of whatever happened, Real Madrid still have their eyes on the Frenchman. They believe he is the one to take them forward. But, their obsession over the 24-year-old could prove costly for Los Blancos in the coming years.
The left-wing dilemma
Kylian Mbappe is among the best in the world, and his addition to any squad will surely bolster it. While his addition to Real Madrid will bring more firepower, in reality, it will bring a huge headache for the manager.
Vinicius Junior has been the man for Los Blancos in the last few years. He has been integral to their success. The 22-year-old has been the man, and he prefers playing on the left. Actually, the left flank is where he is most effective.
While the Brazilian can play on the right as well, he has not been effective enough on that side. Even Mbappe is someone who prefers playing out wide on the left. He has had disputes at PSG because at times, the system does not allow him to play on the left.
The Frenchman loves it on the left, and if he joins Real Madrid, he will demand to play in his preferred position. The 24-year-old can play as a striker. But again, it is about where is he most effective, it is obvious, on the left flank.
Signing Mbappe might hamper Vinicius Junior’s game time. And, even the Brazilian is a big star in the making. He is just 22 and has already showcased to the world what he is capable of. Even Toni Kroos believes that the best of Vinicius in a Madrid shirt is yet to come.
Number Nine: The need of the hour
The flanks are pretty much sorted with Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes. The Brazilian duo is capable enough to take care of wings for at least a decade. Along with Federico Valverde, they are Florentino Perez’s best investment of the last few years.
The duo has come to the party in the last two seasons and look well-poised to take care of the flanks for years to come. Real Madrid should only focus on adding players who can help them rotate the Brazilians. They do not really need a bigger investment out wide.
Real Madrid’s main focus should be on signing a new striker. Their main marksman Karim Benzema is 35 and his contract at the club expires in the summer. While he is likely to extend for a year or even two, he is in the twilight of his career.
They need to prepare for a future without Benzema, who is the second-highest goal scorer in history behind Cristiano Ronaldo. Real Madrid have already signed Brazilian wonderkid Endrick for over €60 million. Los Blancos have already penned down a deal with Palmeiras, but the player will arrive at the club in the summer of 2024 when he turns 18.
And, even when Endrick arrives at the club, he will still need at least a couple of years to be a regular in the first team. So, Real Madrid do need to think of a solution for the next three to four years.
Signing Kylian Mbappe will bring goals, but the Real Madrid DNA depends on having a number nine who can link up with the midfield and supply balls to the wingers. And, yes, he can even step up and score when needed.
Los Blancos need to make it happen in the summer. They should be going after someone like Dusan Vlahovic or Marcus Thuram, who can take care of the attack for the next few years. And, such a player will help Real Madrid transition from Benzema to Endrick, who is expected to be the next big thing.
The amount that Real Madrid are willing to spend on Kylian Mbappe can be used to land Erling Haaland at the club. The 22-year-old is among the best strikers in the world and is scoring goals for fun and can surely solve the striker’s headache once and for all at Los Blancos.
Midfield is the foundation and should be the focus
Real Madrid have been super successful in the last decade. And, a lot of it has been dependent on their midfield. Los Blancos have won five Champions League titles in the last decade.
People will argue that it was because of the team as a whole or because of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, and Karim Benzema. But, the reality is that the midfield played an integral part. The trio of Luka Modric, Casemiro and Toni Kroos were the pillars of their success.
They are considered among the best midfield trios in the history of football because of what they have achieved with the Spanish giants. While Casemiro might have left, Kroos and Modric are still doing it for the team in white. Despite being on the wrong side of 30, they are still making a difference.
Rather than spending a fortune on Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid should invest that into building their next midfield trio. They already have a few pieces secured in Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, and Aurelien Tchouameni. And, sorting out Dani Ceballos’s contract situation will mean they have a good base secured.
But, Los Blancos do not really have the man who can fill the big boots of Modric. They need a complete midfielder in the upcoming window and should be going all out to secure Jude Bellingham.
The 19-year-old is the next big thing in Europe and is already amongst the best midfielders. And investing the Mbappe money on Bellingham will secure the midfield for the next decade. His arrival will complete the midfield, and Real Madrid can move on from Kroos and Modric with ease.
Signing a high-profile striker and Jude Bellingham should be Real Madrid’s obsession at this point in time. They should forget about pushing for Kylian Mbappe, who has two years left on his contract. If the Frenchman wants to join Real Madrid in the summer of 2025 as a free agent, he should be welcomed. But if not, Perez should not be splashing the cash on the PSG forward ahead of next season. He should focus on the things that will help maintain their dominance in Europe.
