GOALThe second coming of Cristiano Ronaldo: Forget the tactical concerns - Kylian Mbappe was born to play for Real Madrid
Real Madrid had been waiting for Kylian Mbappe for two years. Tic followed tac, followed tic, followed tac. And then, on August 14, 2023, a deafening silence heard all around the world. Even the Madrid cheerleaders on El Chiringuito stopped their infamous countdown. "A historic moment," they called it with characteristic bombast. "It's OVER!"
It wasn't, of course. Nobody thought that for a second - not even Mbappe's employers at Parc des Princes. Paris Saint-Germain knew as well as anyone that the speculation surrounding their star player's future would continue unabated, because the move to Madrid had merely been postponed - not abandoned.
And so here we are, with Mbappe's arrival at Santiago Bernabeu now confirmed and official. The most painfully protracted transfer saga in football history is finally at its end.
GettyMatter of time
When the World Cup winner signed a new contract in May 2022, PSG tried to make out as if he had committed himself to the club until 2025 - but the final year was optional and it's long been obvious that he had no interest in seeing it out.
Despite PSG winning a league and cup double under new manager Luis Enrique while also reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League, they dye had already been cast when it came to Mbappe's future. Nothing was going to convince him to stick around past the summer.
To his credit, Mbappe has been typically prolific, scoring 44 times in 48 games across all competitions, and could have had more had Luis Enrique not started planning for the future by leaving him out of a number of Ligue 1 matches since the turn of the year. The forward didn't exactly cover himself in glory on those occasions, but when he was on the pitch, few could have claimed he wasn't committed to the cause.
Getty'Pivot' problem
That's not to say that Mbappe has always been easy to work with during his final year in France. His position seems to have been the principal problem, with Luis Enrique having said that Mbappe has the "freedom" to play wherever he likes, but the 25-year-old still appeared to feel restricted when asked to spearhead the attack - which, lest we forget, led to the infamous "pivot gang" post aimed at former boss Christophe Galtier.
According to the Spanish press, Mbappe's relationship with the ex-Barcelona boss broke down for the very same reason. "He doesn't want to play as a centre-forward, he doesn't like to be called a nine and he wants to play as a No.11, which is the position in which he has played the most in his career," OK Diario director Eduardo Inda told El Chiringuito de Jugones.
Getty ImagesIs Mbappe really worth it?
Would there be any less drama and debate over Mbappe's role at Madrid? Not at all. The media madness even led to claims earlier in the season that Madrid were considering selling Vinicius Jr in order to make room for Mbappe, both on the field and on the wage bill.
In the end, Madrid have convinced the Parisian to lower his financial demands ever so slightly, but even so, Mbappe is going to cost Florentino Perez a colossal amount of cash, and there is a gargantuan signing-on fee owed to him on top of his astronomical salary.
Mbappe is obviously the best player in the world and he should be paid accordingly - but it's fair to ask if he's really worth such a historic outlay, at least from a tactical perspective?
Alternative options
Madrid already have a world-class left winger, after all, so wouldn't Perez be better off signing a striker like Victor Osimhen? It would certainly take some pressure off Endrick, the Brazilian teenager who will arrive at the Bernabeu this summer and deserves to be given plenty of time to settle into his new surroundings.
Meanwhile, when it started to become clear that Mbappe to Madrid was on this summer, it probably wasn't any coincidence that rumours of Erling Haaland being "unhappy" at Manchester City surfaced. Madrid might have been well advised to wait and see if the Norwegian No.9 started pushing for a move to boost his own Ballon d'Or hopes.
Of course, Vinicius and Mbappe can co-exist in the same side; they are both capable of switching flanks. Mbappe certainly never seemed to have much of an issue giving up his preferred left-wing role to Neymar at PSG (at least not initially). But whether he would be willing to be so accommodating at Madrid is the great unknown at this point in the proceedings
GOALThe second coming of Cristiano Ronaldo: Forget the tactical concerns - Kylian Mbappe was born to play for Real Madrid
Real Madrid had been waiting for Kylian Mbappe for two years. Tic followed tac, followed tic, followed tac. And then, on August 14, 2023, a deafening silence heard all around the world. Even the Madrid cheerleaders on El Chiringuito stopped their infamous countdown. "A historic moment," they called it with characteristic bombast. "It's OVER!"
It wasn't, of course. Nobody thought that for a second - not even Mbappe's employers at Parc des Princes. Paris Saint-Germain knew as well as anyone that the speculation surrounding their star player's future would continue unabated, because the move to Madrid had merely been postponed - not abandoned.
And so here we are, with Mbappe's arrival at Santiago Bernabeu now confirmed and official. The most painfully protracted transfer saga in football history is finally at its end.
- Getty
Matter of time
When the World Cup winner signed a new contract in May 2022, PSG tried to make out as if he had committed himself to the club until 2025 - but the final year was optional and it's long been obvious that he had no interest in seeing it out.
Despite PSG winning a league and cup double under new manager Luis Enrique while also reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League, they dye had already been cast when it came to Mbappe's future. Nothing was going to convince him to stick around past the summer.
To his credit, Mbappe has been typically prolific, scoring 44 times in 48 games across all competitions, and could have had more had Luis Enrique not started planning for the future by leaving him out of a number of Ligue 1 matches since the turn of the year. The forward didn't exactly cover himself in glory on those occasions, but when he was on the pitch, few could have claimed he wasn't committed to the cause.
- Getty
'Pivot' problem
That's not to say that Mbappe has always been easy to work with during his final year in France. His position seems to have been the principal problem, with Luis Enrique having said that Mbappe has the "freedom" to play wherever he likes, but the 25-year-old still appeared to feel restricted when asked to spearhead the attack - which, lest we forget, led to the infamous "pivot gang" post aimed at former boss Christophe Galtier.
According to the Spanish press, Mbappe's relationship with the ex-Barcelona boss broke down for the very same reason. "He doesn't want to play as a centre-forward, he doesn't like to be called a nine and he wants to play as a No.11, which is the position in which he has played the most in his career," OK Diario director Eduardo Inda told El Chiringuito de Jugones.
- Getty Images
Is Mbappe really worth it?
Would there be any less drama and debate over Mbappe's role at Madrid? Not at all. The media madness even led to claims earlier in the season that Madrid were considering selling Vinicius Jr in order to make room for Mbappe, both on the field and on the wage bill.
In the end, Madrid have convinced the Parisian to lower his financial demands ever so slightly, but even so, Mbappe is going to cost Florentino Perez a colossal amount of cash, and there is a gargantuan signing-on fee owed to him on top of his astronomical salary.
Mbappe is obviously the best player in the world and he should be paid accordingly - but it's fair to ask if he's really worth such a historic outlay, at least from a tactical perspective?
- Getty Images
Alternative options
Madrid already have a world-class left winger, after all, so wouldn't Perez be better off signing a striker like Victor Osimhen? It would certainly take some pressure off Endrick, the Brazilian teenager who will arrive at the Bernabeu this summer and deserves to be given plenty of time to settle into his new surroundings.
Meanwhile, when it started to become clear that Mbappe to Madrid was on this summer, it probably wasn't any coincidence that rumours of Erling Haaland being "unhappy" at Manchester City surfaced. Madrid might have been well advised to wait and see if the Norwegian No.9 started pushing for a move to boost his own Ballon d'Or hopes.
Of course, Vinicius and Mbappe can co-exist in the same side; they are both capable of switching flanks. Mbappe certainly never seemed to have much of an issue giving up his preferred left-wing role to Neymar at PSG (at least not initially). But whether he would be willing to be so accommodating at Madrid is the great unknown at this point in the proceedings.
(C)Getty ImagesTrust in Carlo
Still, Perez will probably feel - with some degree of justification - that he was the right coach to resolve all of these tactical dilemmas. Carlo Ancelotti has been a success at so many big clubs because he is the master of managing dressing rooms full of massive egos. The affable Italian would not be intimidated by the prospect of trying to fit Vinicius and Mbappe (and Jude Bellingham) into the same starting line-up.
He has a rare gift for keeping stroppy superstars happy. Nobody does it better and Perez knows this, which is why he went out of his way to convince Ancelotti to reject Brazil and sign a contract extension until 2026 earlier this season.
Getty ImagesMadrid's new Ronaldo
So, you really can forget about positions and systems for now - they aren't really factors in the thinking behind this transfer. Signing Mbappe is about far more than tactics or trophies; it's about swagger and a sense of entitlement. It's pure Madridismo, a self-indulgent show of superiority, another Galactico to wow mere mortals all across the world.
From David Beckham to Bellingham, Perez has always said that some players are "born to play for Real Madrid" - and Mbappe has always had that air about him. He oozes confidence and appears utterly unaffected by pressure. He's already scored more goals in World Cup finals than any other player in history for crying out loud - and he's still only 25!
He is, essentially, the second coming of Cristiano Ronaldo, another ambitious, arrogant and awesome attacker destined to set records that will never be broken and continually court controversy with displays of petulance on and off the field.
Seriously, how long before Mbappe sends the Madrid media into a frenzy by mimicking his childhood hero and role model by saying he's "sad" - or just playing the 'pivot gang' card again? But Perez knows all this and he won't care. And nor will the supporters at the end of the day.
Both Madrid and Mbappe believe that they are the best in the world, and they’re probably right. For that reason alone, they were always going to end up together. The countdown clock never really did stop ticking...