Real Madrid are planning and preparing for a massive summer transfer window in 2022. The fans have big expectations. Florentino Perez is planning on making this year a monumental year for Real Madrid. The club will part ways with heroes and legends like Isco, Bale, and Marcelo. Some other outgoings are also expected. But it’s not the outgoings that will dominate the conversation.
The rumored list of incoming players is far more entertaining and intriguing. Real Madrid have been linked to players from almost every position except goalkeeper. Star players like Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland are linked to Los Blancos. It is the last two players who are getting the fans excited. Currently, they are arguably two of the top five players in the world.
Real Madrid have been linked with Kylian Mbappe for a long time. The club’s desire to acquire the PSG superstar became evident and confirmed last summer when they submitted a bid for over 200 million euros. PSG famously refused to sell in hopes of prolonging the Frenchman’s stay in the club. So far, there has been no sign of Mbappe leaning towards signing a new contract with PSG.
Mbappe’s arrival in Madrid is very likely. Now he is free to negotiate with any club, and the only thing that remains is his signature. In addition to being a thrilling sporting deal, signing Kylian Mbappe will also be financially profitable for Real Madrid. At 23, Mbappe is already a global superstar. His transfer would be of a similar magnitude to Ronaldo’s arrival in 2009. Like Cristiano, Mbappe’s arrival would bring massive fan following and marketability to the club.
Mbappe would greatly enhance the attacking potential of the team. Real Madrid have looked clueless at times against organized defenses, particularly low-block defenses. Mbappe would be an efficient solution to this issue. He has the technical brilliance and world-class talent to create goals out of thin air. Furthermore, Mbappe’s connection to Karim Benzema is world-class, ensuring that he would settle quickly in the team.
Erling Haaland’s rise to stardom has been a lot steeper. After impressing at Salzburg, Haaland was signed by Dortmund in January 2021. Within just one year, Haaland has risen to become one of the most in-demand players in the world. The Norwegian possesses every quality a striker needs. Tall, athletic, pacy, and a fox-in-the-box, the 21-year old is already an expert at bullying defenders and scoring lots of goals.
Real Madrid should try to sign both Haaland and Mbappe
Real Madrid must look toward the future with Benzema in the twilight years of his career. Benzema may be aging like fine wine, but the club will need a world-class striker in two or three years. Real Madrid legend Raul passed on the torch to a young Benzema in 2009. After creating his own legacy at the club, the Frenchman can hand it on to Haaland more than a decade later.
Erling Haaland would be more difficult to sign than Mbappe. There will be a race for his signature as several top clubs are looking to sign him. This can lead to a bidding war, and more financially strong clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City may have an edge. In addition, Haaland would demand high wages.
Real Madrid should, however, go all out for the generational Norwegian, as it’s a rare opportunity to land one of the most lethal strikers on the planet for a relatively feasible transfer fee.
Real Madrid may end up signing both of them next summer. There are some concerns regarding the financial blow these deals would cause, with Haaland reportedly demanding sky-high wages.
Real Madrid, however, are said to have the leverage to make deals for both Mbappe and Haaland due to Perez’s conservative approach in the past few years.
Doubts also exist about whether these two would want to share the spotlight. Reports indicate Haaland will want to be the focal point in the club he joins, which is understandable. Having said that, no player would want to refuse a chance to play for the biggest club in the world, which has an exciting project going ahead.
Gathering world-class talent has become a necessity rather than a luxury for Real Madrid. This is because of the rise of state-owned clubs that have unlimited resources. It’s not uncommon for clubs like Chelsea, Manchester City, and PSG to spend massive amounts of money. These billionaire-backed clubs are making life difficult for fan-owned clubs like Real Madrid. Competing against such clubs would mean that Los Blancos would have to be aggressive and competitive in the transfer market. Having both Haaland and Mbappe on board is a perfect way to gain an edge.
The Galacticos era symbolizes the success of such a project
Last but not least, we have seen a scenario like this succeed in the past, to an extent. It will not be the first time that Real Madrid will host the world’s most talented players. Florentino Perez is known for signing Galacticos. The first Galactico era of the 2000s boasted stars like Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Michael Owen, and David Beckham. Immediate success followed for three seasons, with Real winning La Liga in 2000/01 and 2002/03, and the UCL in 2001/02. The second Galactico era saw the arrivals of Ronaldo, Kaka, and Benzema among others. Real Madrid’s dominance in the mid-2010s is a testament to the successes of such a transfer policy. The best club in the world deserves to have the best players.
An attacking trident of Vini, Mbappe, and Haaland would be spectacular. This attack can guarantee not just immediate success for the club, but long-term as well. Hopefully, Florentino Perez can make his master plan a reality. Madridistas have a lot to look forward to this summer. The rest of the team is looking very solid as well, so Madridistas have every right to be excited about the future.