Kylian Mbappe will certainly help improve MU's scoring ability. But recruiting the French striker is not a simple story because of fierce competition from Real Madrid.
Real Madrid is a strong candidate to own Mbappe. Photo: The Analyst.
The prospect of Qatari owners acquiring MU and using the money to recruit Mbappe is the perfect scenario. This would be a deal that would help elevate the “Red Devils” and help the team compete for major titles. But that dream plan could be shattered by Mbappe himself, who always sees Real Madrid as the perfect destination to develop his personal career.
All roads lead to Madrid
For a player who once had posters of Cristiano Ronaldo plastered all over his room and considered playing for Real Madrid a dream, the prospect of Mbappe moving to the Bernabeu is very plausible. Real's leadership can rub their hands with satisfaction after witnessing Mbappe's clever handling of PSG. The French striker refused to activate the extension clause until 2025. This move forced the Ligue 1 club to decide to sell Mbappe this summer or lose him for free next year.
The acquisition of Mbappe has also become more feasible as Real freed up a significant wage bill by parting ways with Marco Asensio, Karim Benzema and Eden Hazard. The Bernabeu team has also recorded a profit of 160 million euros from player sales since 2020. Even after spending nearly 100 million euros to recruit Jude Bellingham last week, Real is still considered to have enough potential to welcome Mbappe this summer.
ESPN believes that there is no one better suited to fill the void left by Benzema at the Bernabeu than Mbappe. “This is a win-win deal. Mbappe knows that if PSG are forced to sell him this summer, Real will be the only team that can complete the deal,” commented journalist Julien Laurens.
Opta also pointed out that the player with the most similar playing style to Benzema in the 2022/23 season is Mbappe. Benzema averages 0.84 goals per 90 minutes for Real. Mbappe's figure is 0.92.
The number of shots (4.7 vs 4.8) and touches (59 vs 61) per game are also similar for both players. The difference is that Mbappe is better at dribbling while Benzema is better at creating scoring opportunities for his teammates.
Real are also ready for the prospect of not owning Mbappe in the 2023/24 season. The Bernabeu team accepts to bet on a big game. Coach Carlo Ancelotti has reason to be unhappy when the targets in sight such as Harry Kane or Kai Havertz are ignored. Real spend 500,000 euros to borrow Joselu from Espanyol and will wait for Mbappe until the summer of 2024.
However, in early 2024, the capital Madrid team will send a preliminary contract to Mbappe to ensure that this player will arrive at Bernabeu as a free agent in the 2024/25 season.
Mbappe is the perfect successor to Benzema at Real. Photo: Reuters
Who can buy Mbappe besides Real?
The possibility of PSG successfully retaining Mbappe is getting lower and lower. The French striker believes that it is time to change the playing environment to conquer big titles. Winning the Champions League or winning the Golden Ball are certainly the goals that Mbappe is aiming for.
With those factors, it is hard to believe that Mbappe will choose to join MU to develop his career. Even if the transfer is successful and the transfer budget is huge, the Old Trafford team is not Mbappe's priority destination.
PSG has proven that having an all-star team does not necessarily bring success. The team has invested more than 1.5 billion euros over the years but has always been disappointing in the European arena. The Parisian team needs a unique style of play and a well-planned plan. This is also a factor that MU does not have, even though the team has just had a promising season under coach Erik ten Hag.
ESPN believes that not many teams in the world can recruit Mbappe at the moment. Man City, the reigning Champions League champion, is the next candidate mentioned. But coach Pep Guardiola is unlikely to risk changing the winning formula for an individual like Mbappe. Erling Haaland's impressive performance gives Man City's leadership no reason to change.
The prospect of Mbappe joining Bayern Munich is also becoming more fragile. Thomas Tuchel once coached the French striker at PSG, but having a big ego in the dressing room will be a big problem for the "Gray Tigers".
Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool are pursuing other options instead of betting on Mbappe. Among them, Chelsea has a large transfer budget, but is focusing on selling players before thinking about buying new players.
“Mbappe cannot continue to waste time when Haaland has just won the Champions League with Man City,” former player Bixente Lizarazu analyzed. “Mbappe has the freedom to make his own choices. He is not obliged to listen to anyone.”
According to Zing
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