Real Madrid’s long-awaited signing of Kylian Mbappe has big benefits for the reigning Spanish and European champions, but it also comes with its share of problems.
One of them is how Mbappe fits into the starting lineup, as his favorite position is on the left wing, where Vinicius, the top scorer with 24 goals last season, is located. Another question is how the 25-year-old Frenchman will fit in with a mature dressing room – something the La Liga club considered when they began seriously considering signing him again in January.
Competitor Previously detailed how head coach Carlo Ancelotti plans to use a flexible 4-3-3 system, with Mbappe playing in the center, Vinicius on the left and Rodrygo on the right. This will become a 4-4-2 defensive formation, with Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. as the front two and Jude Bellingham moving to left midfield.
deeper
Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid – how does he fit in with Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo?
That leaves the question of personality. Real Madrid do not want Mbappe to continue to enjoy his power at his former club Paris Saint-Germain after renewing his contract in 2022. They were also concerned that paying him an exorbitant salary might arouse suspicion among Harmony’s player base. Reports suggest Mbappe will receive a signing bonus of around €100m ($109m; £84m), followed by a salary of €15m.
The current group of Madrid players are considered to be some of the most closely linked in recent years. Sources close to the locker room – who, like all sources cited in this article, asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships – say the atmosphere now is the best they’ve ever known and recognize they didn’t have it in previous years. Such a feeling.
The recently retired Toni Kroos mentioned this when asked at an event last week if he would keep in touch with his former Madrid team-mates.
“Yes, I have a personal relationship with many of them,” said the Germany midfielder. “Not only was last season very successful, but we had a top dressing room – I can’t say the same for every team I’ve played for. They’re people I want to keep in touch with.
Mbappe made his debut to great fanfare last week (Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
There were already signs of this during the players’ summer break.
As in 2023, Vinicius Junior invited a group of club teammates to his hometown of Rio de Janeiro following Brazil’s Copa America quarter-final against Uruguay this month. Many were unable to go due to family matters or international schedules, but Eduardo Camavinga, Ferland Mendy, Ed Militao and Rodrygo went.
The players took part in a charity event for the winger’s foundation, Instituto Vini Jr – which he invested €1.3 million in last year, helping more than 3,500 children – and enjoyed a few days of rest, partying and playing football with each other . They were joined by their entourage and other big names from the sports world and elsewhere, such as Boston Celtics NBA star Jaylen Brown and singers Ozuna and Rauf Alejandro and Ludmila.
Mbappe and Vinicius Junior’s compatriot, friend and current Madrid team-mate Ndrick were invited to attend. But both will make their official debuts at the club’s Santiago Bernabeu home after their respective appearances in the European Cup and Copa America – Mbappe made his debut last Tuesday; Ndrick will arrive this Saturday and will need to deal with their new lives in Spain logistical matters.
During his opening press conference, Mbappe confirmed that Vinicius Jr. played a role in his eventual move to Madrid. He was asked which players he had spoken to about the club before his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain.
“I have all the French players and they always tell me and explain to me that this is the best (club) in the world,” Mbappe said. “And Vinicius, he invited me here and told me we would play together in attack. It’s always good to thank them because they want me to play with them.
Kylian Mbappe trains in France with current Madrid teammates Camavinga and Chuameni (Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)
Several players have publicly expressed their support for Mbappe’s signing – whether implicitly or explicitly – even before it was officially announced.
Last year, when rumors were linking Real Madrid with the move, Rodrygo posted a photo of himself partying with Kylian Mbappe in August. Moreover, once the trade was announced, the team sparked a strong response on social media.
Sources at Madrid’s training ground in Valdebebas said Mbappe made a good impression, describing him as “smart” and “cheerful”. The club is offering him lower terms this time than in their failed 2022 proposal, even though his base salary is one of the highest on the team (plus his signing bonus, he’s by far their highest paid players).
Mbappe made the right noise in his first press conference when he said he would play as Carlo Ancelotti asked, adding that he was not considering wearing the suit out of respect for the long-term The number 10 jersey worn by Luka Modric for the past seven seasons.
So there are some good signs – and it’s worth considering what happened when another big name, Bellingham, joined Madrid last year.
Initial reports suggested Bellingham and Vinicius Junior were not getting along, but this was quickly proven wrong. They sometimes drove to training in the same car and Vinicius Jr. celebrated some of his goals by recreating the English ‘open arms’ celebration. “Here I am, with the best players in the world,” Bellingham said as he hugged Vinicius Junior during an interview on the club’s official TV channel during Madrid’s La Liga title celebrations in May.
The Brazilian called Bellingham “Belligol” during that interview, one of several nicknames used within the team.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was nicknamed “Jirafa” (Giraffe) due to his 6-foot-7-inch (200 cm) height, Antonio Rudiger was called “Loco” (Crazy), and David Alaba was Called “Alabama”, Ferland Mendy is called “General”, Eduardo Camavinga is called “Pantera” (Black Panther), Federico Valverde is called “Halcon” ” (eagle), “Gaucho” (a cowboy-like cavalryman, a folk symbol in his native Uruguay) or “Bombazo” (a bombshell – for the power of his shot), while Arda Guler It’s “Abi” (“elder brother” in his native Turkish). Players often use these nicknames on social media, which is a testament to the positive atmosphere in the locker room.
deeper
Cliques in football locker rooms: The good, the bad and the ugly
This was helped last season by the addition of young and veteran players such as Nacho, Kroos and Joselu – all of whom left the club this summer. But other experienced players, such as 38-year-old Modric and 33-year-old Lucas Vazquez, remain after extending their contracts by another year.
Club staff play an important role in creating this harmony.
Last summer, influential chief scout Jurni Calafate took new arrivals Bellingham, Gule and Brahim Diaz (returning from a three-year loan spell from AC Milan) to the center of Madrid. Dinner at a well-known restaurant. After the La Liga defeat to Barcelona in April, Guler hosted a barbecue at his home attended by Brahim, Valverde and staff.
The players have a good connection with Ancelotti and the other coaches. Carlo’s son and assistant Davide is key because at 35, he is closer to the player’s age and speaks multiple languages.
Carlo and Davide Ancelotti have good relationships with players (Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
They also have great relationships with doctors, physical therapists and trainers. That was evident when Militao returned from a serious knee injury against Athletic Bilbao in March and physiotherapist Jaime Salom insisted on being at the Bernabeu despite the death of his mother that week . Rodrigo dedicated the goal to Salom in that game.
“These details are usually given privately and often you don’t see them, but they are very important,” a Valdebebas source said at the time.
It all paints a picture of a Manchester United dressing room preparing to welcome another star player, Kylian Mbappe.
(Popular Photo: Getty Images)
