As Real Madrid fans await the official announcement of Kylian Mbappe’s transfer to their favorite club, the discussions has turned to how Mbappe will fit his new team.
Mbappe has mostly been playing through the middle at PSG this season to accommodate the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar, but his best position is generally seen as a No. 7. Like his idol Cristiano Ronaldo, Mbappe prefers to score his goals by coming onto his right foot from the left side.
Madridistas have wondered how that will work with Vinicius Jr., who also idolizes Ronaldo and prefers to play on the left side of the attack. Vini, unlike Mbappe who won a World Cup in this position, has no track record of playing on the right-hand side.
Kylian Mbappe will be a striker in a 4-4-2 at Real Madrid
According to a report from MARCA’s Mario Cortegana, Real Madrid have already thought through all of these scenarios and will not ask Kylian Mbappe to move to the right side of the attack. They will not start him as a right winger in their 4-3-3.
That’s because, per the top reporter, Real is not planning on primarily running a 4-3-3. When they sign Mbappe – it seems more of a “when” than “if” at this point – they will shift to a 4-4-2 with Mbappe playing up top alongside another one of his favorite players, Karim Benzema.
In that case, Vini would still play on the left, albeit as more of a ball-progressor and winger. Which is fine. That suits him. Presumably, Fede Valverde would be the option on the right, though other players like Rodrygo Goes and even Lucas Vazquez could come into the picture.
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Mbappe will be “The Guy” in Madrid next season. Benzema will be there to help him score goals, just as he took a step back from his own scoring to help Cristiano Ronaldo put up the most incredible scoring output we have ever seen in footballing history during his time in the Spanish capital. That is the benchmark Mbappe wants to surpass, following in the footsteps of CR7 to make his own name, KM7.