Kylian Mbappe has been a dream signing for Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, and the club had been trying to secure him for a long time before the Frenchman finally put pen to paper to become a Los Blancos player in 2024.
Since then, the 27-year-old has been constantly finding the back of the net for the Merengues and is currently the top scorer in La Liga as well as the Champions League this season.
However, few could argue that Real’s overall performance as a team has taken a major hit since Mbappe’s arrival. In fact, the club hasn’t managed to win any trophies in the past one and a half seasons so far.
So, was the signing of Mbappe a mistake and a poorly planned decision taken by Real’s board? Well, the answer isn’t so simple.
How Kylian Mbappe’s arrival has hurt the team
In the pre-Mbappe era, players like Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham were at the top of their game. But with the French forward now in the team, neither of the two has been able to perform at the same level.\
While it’s unfair to put the full blame on Mbappe for this, he is certainly part of the reasons behind the duo’s struggles. Firstly, the 27-year-old tends to drift wide to occupy the spaces on the left flank where Vinicius likes to operate, curbing the Brazilian’s freedom in that area.
Secondly, Bellingham cannot push further forward to score goals with as much frequency, as that leaves a gap in midfield. And fans are already well aware that Mbappe’s record of tracking back is not the best. This puts the team in a tough spot and not in a good way in terms of both the attack and defence.
Additionally, Mbappe’s arrival has also affected the game-time of other players. Endrick, who was often dubbed a wonderkid by fans even before joining Real, was granted a reduced role with limited opportunities, in contrast to what should have been done, which is gradually integrating the youngster into the starting XI. As a result, he recently joined Lyon on a six-month loan in the winter transfer window and has already turned some heads with his performances.
All things considered, the transfer of Mbappe has indeed pushed the club’s overall project backwards. Anyway, this doesn’t take away from the fact that the Frenchman is one of the best players in the world and is giving his all for Real. It is the board that should be blamed for this situation, and they are the ones who will have to find a solution soon.