Real Madrid: We don’t need to compare Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland

Real Madrid have two Galacticos on their mind in the year 2021: Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. The dream of signing both is nothing more than wistful thinking from Madridistas, though I would hesitate to totally dismiss anything as “impossible” when the notoriously ambitious Florentino Perez is involved.

But for all intents and purposes, Los Blancos will almost certainly only be able to sign one. Considering signing either player is difficult enough and both men are capable of transforming the team’s fortunes with their individual attacking prowess, Madridistas should be grateful if the club can secure one of Mbappe or Haaland during this economic crisis.

That said, since “there can only be one”, it is only natural for many fans to want to compare the two players. Who is better? Who would help the team more? Who will be easier to sign? Who should Real Madrid prioritize in the summer? Who? Who? Who?

It doesn’t help that some people have a vested interest in comparing the two players to create a narrative or a kind of battle that fills the void of the endless, nauseating Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi debates.

Real Madrid would welcome either Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland

And those of us who don’t play for Ronaldo or Messi FC KNOW how burdensome, how tiresome, those age-old debates have gotten.

So why repeat any of that ourselves with Mbappe and Haaland? They are both generational talents worth appreciating, worth enjoying, worth praising, and worth discussing on the merits of their own unique abilities. Most importantly from the perspective of a Real Madrid fan, they are both very much worth signing if Los Blancos can work out an appropriate agreement with either PSG or Borussia Dortmund.

There is no “one or the other”. There is no need to suck ourselves into the monstrosity of a debate that simply has the end game of falsely dragging one down to exalt the other. There is no need to add undue pressure to two phenomenal young players.

Discussions about fit, economic feasibility, and the ease of negotiation with their current clubs are fair topics that lead to insightful, fruitful takeaways. But the weird, nitpicky, and overly negative “anlaysis” that often plagues direct comparisons are not necessary for the Real Madrid faithful to engage in.

Haaland or Mbappe would be welcomed with open arms by Madridistas, especially now, when Casemiro is the only player after Karim Benzema with five goals. Real Madrid need the help, and Mbappe and Haaland are both capable of serving up 30 goals in a season for years and years to come. They have already earned “galactic” plaudits.