Kylian Mbappe is finally set to sign for Real Madrid this summer. Los Blancos have chased the French forward over a number of years, and have come close to landing him before, but most reports suggest Mbappe will finally put pen to paper on a contract to move to the Spanish capital at the end of the season.
Florentino Perez has long viewed Mbappe as the natural next ‘Galactico.’ The first ‘Galactico’ era was defined by the signings of Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane while the second was dominated by Cristiano Ronaldo. Mbappe is seen as being on this level with the 25-year-old considered one of the best soccer players in the world.
Just because Perez has an obsession with signing Mbappe, however, doesn’t mean his signing will be a good thing for the Real Madrid team on the pitch. Indeed, Los Blancos have more to lose than gain by adding Mbappe to a squad that doesn’t have an obvious place for him. Signing the Frenchman could be a mistake.
This season has been a memorable one for Real Madrid so far. Carlo Ancelotti’s team currently sit at the top of the La Liga table and are in the last 16 of the Champions League having won all six of their group games in the competition. They have lost just twice in all competitions this season with both of those losses coming against Atletico Madrid.
Last summer’s loss of Karim Benzema to Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia had the potential to derail Real Madrid. The French centre forward had been Los Blancos’ attacking focal point for a number of years and the failure to truly replace him led many to suggest Ancelotti might struggle to set up his team in an effective way.
Instead, Ancelotti reshuffled Real Madrid’s attack and midfield in a way that has made them even stronger. The signing of Jude Bellingham allowed the Italian coach to shift his team into a 4-3-1-2 shape that has given Los Blancos a great deal of mobility and fluidity in the way they create and score opportunities.
The midfield trio of Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valverde is one of the strongest central platforms anywhere in European soccer right now. Toni Kroos and Luka Modric have also been brought in to provide control with the former enjoying a particularly successful season. Brahim Diaz is another squad figure who is contributing in a meaningful way.
Bellingham is the link between Real Madrid’s midfield and attack with the Englishman netting an incredible 18 goals in the Champions League and La Liga. His late runs into the box give Real Madrid a different dimension. Bellingham’s height and natural physicality is also a problem for opposition defenders in the air.
As an unorthodox front two, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior have forged a strong partnership this season. The pair are geared to get in behind opposition backlines as frequently as possible with their skill and cutting edge inside the penalty box evident in the numbers they have posted between them – 23 combined goals. Vinicius is widely considered one of the best left-sided attackers in world soccer.
So that begs the question: where would Mbappe fit into Ancelotti’s team alongside the Brazilian? Real Madrid could shift back into a front three, like the sort they used with Benzema as their centre forward, but Mbappe has previously expressed disgruntlement at having to play through the middle for France.
What’s more, there are questions about Mbappe’s character in a dressing room setting. The forward has been a disruptive presence at various points of his Paris Saint-Germain career and could unsettle the Real Madrid team should he join this summer. Mbappe would surely expect Ancelotti to build around him when he has already constructed something without him.
Of course, Mbappe is an extremely talented individual and it’s possible his elite level ability would shine through even if he has to adapt his game slightly to fit in at Real Madrid. Ancelotti might be able to remould his team once more, just as he did last summer. There is a very real risk, however, that the signing of Mbappe would undo all the good work Real Madrid have done.
