Kylian Mbappe's Arrival: A New Era for Real Madrid
Jun 03, 2024
Kylian Mbappe, the newest member of Real Madrid's galaxy, is set to be revealed this week, perhaps confirming the worst-kept secret in sports.
Mbappe, 25, will join Real Madrid for the next five years, potentially leading the European champions into a new era of success.
Mbappe will join the French national squad before Euro 2024 and join the Champions League winners on July 1st.
Madrid has been pursuing Mbappe for a long time, as PSG didn't sell him last summer.
Mbappe, for his part, has embraced Madrid's previous approaches and has made no secret of his desire to leave PSG when his current contract ends on June 30.
Following his season-long loan from Monaco to PSG in 2017 and the permanent transfer a year later, Mbappe became the second most expensive player in history when the Parisians paid £165.7 million to acquire his talents.
With 256 goals in 308 games over the last seven years, Mbappe has become the club's all-time top scorer. He has also won multiple domestic cups and six Ligue 1 crowns.
Real Madrid's victory and PSG's inability to win the Champions League guaranteed a transfer. In 2020, PSG made it to the championship game, but Bayern Munich prevailed. They were beaten by Real Madrid in the round of sixteen this season after they fell to Borussia Dortmund.
The Parisians will be hurt by losing such a great player, but Mbappe's rumored €100 million signing bonus will make him feel that the wait was justified.
It's reasonable to wonder how a squad fresh off winning the La Liga and European Cup can become better, but there's little question about how Mbappe can help them do so.
While Saturday's victory at Wembley reinforced many established facts, it also pointed out some areas where Madrid's play still needs improvement.
Real Madrid is a tenacious and prosperous European team renowned for their formidable defense. Dortmund tried to attack, but Madrid stayed firm and finally capitalized on their superiority.
Niclas Füllkrug led Dortmund's assault, while Madrid lacked a central attacker.
Mbappe isn't your typical center forward, but his goal-scoring record still impresses. Like Vinicius Jr., he frequently makes wide left-to-center runs. Madrid is skilled at assembling gifted players into a coherent team.
Under Higuain, Ronaldo got better, and Benzema developed with them both. Real Madrid struggles but finds success.
With Mbappe's arrival, Coach Ancelotti has more offensive alternatives. He may utilize a 4-3-3 system with Mbappe at center forward and Vinicius and Rodrygo on each side, or he can play Mbappe and Vinicius as a tandem. Bellingham is a midfield supporter.
Although the latter requires giving up a midfield player, it could be the better choice until Ancelotti decides how to replace the indispensable Toni Kroos.
With the addition of Endrick, an 18-year-old Brazilian sensation who will be joining Madrid from Palmeiras this summer, Ancelotti and Madrid will have an easy time fitting everything together.
