It feels like it’s just a matter of time to where La Liga will have a new golden boy for years to come in the form of Kylian Mbappe.
The PSG star, who grew up with the hope of playing for current champions Real Madrid someday, looks to be closing in on his dream transfer with his departure from France looking inevitable now.
Yes, it’s a great time to be a Los Blancos supporter given their stronger La Liga 2022 odds next season in line of this development. However, nothing has been formally agreed or signed yet, so fans and neutrals will all have to wait and see.
As we look ahead this summer, SBOTOP examines and break down the impact of Kylian Mbappe’s imminent move to the Bernabeu.
Kylian Mbappe’s PSG journey so far
As a response to PSG’s disappointing Ligue 1 campaign in 2016/17, the Parisiens splashed a huge amount on cash to pry Neymar away from Barcelona while bringing in Kylian Mbappe via loan with a buy option at the end of the year.
Those moves signaled change for the capital club, signifying their intent to become an established European powerhouse, to which they did a few years later.
Fast forward to today, Mbappe is at the stage of his career where he aims to prove that he’s the best in the world given his immense talent. This means playing for a club who can win the Champions League, but so far he isn’t there just yet.
He came close when PSG finished as runners-up in 2020 behind Bayern Munich, but were eliminated in the semi-finals by Manchester City a year later. This season, they were knocked out of the Round of 16 by Real Madrid.
Last summer, the Parisiens added Lionel Messi to form a powerful attacking triumvirate with Mbappe and Neymar. However, the general sentiment is that PSG are a squad of individuals rather than a team.
It makes you wonder if you’re in Mbappe’s shoes: Can he win the Champions League anytime soon? Will he win a Ballon d’Or and not get overshadowed by Lionel Messi and Neymar?
Those questions along with his expiring contract may have prompted the 23-year old to ponder about his long-term future.
How will he fit in Madrid?
Real Madrid have been courting Kylian Mbappe for quite some time now. Even with Karim Benzema in the lineup, who remains a constant in the La Liga 2022 highlights reel, Los Blancos are already planning ahead since Benzema isn’t getting any younger.
Mbappe is seen as the heir apparent, and with a proven cast under Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid seems to be the ideal place for him to contend for the biggest trophies every season.
Picture this if you’re a Real Madrid fan where Marco Asensio and Vinicius Junior are racing down the flanks to tee up Kylian Mbappe inside the box for goals.
Meanwhile, Mbappe can also be effective as a winger where he’ll be the one to feed either Asensio or Vinicius Junior. Or from time to time, Toni Kroos or Luka Modric can dish to him the ball with their exquisite passing and all he needs to do is to get in proper position.
Playing for Real Madrid also means that Mbappe will now have frontline partners who share the same high work rate as he does that is ideal for high pressing when needed. They weren’t able to do that in PSG since Neymar and Lionel Messi aren’t those type of players.
According to reports, Los Blancos went as far as to bid around $225-M last summer despite Mbappe having one more year left on his PSG contract. But PSG rejected any bids, meaning that he can now walk for nothing, opening a golden opportunity for Los Blancos.
Real Madrid presents a new challenge for Kylian Mbappe
He was spotted in Madrid recently alongside PSG teammate and former Real Madrid full-back Achraf Hakimi to try and get a feel on what it’s like to be in Madrid. Naturally, Los Blancos fans gave him a warm reception to make him feel comfortable at his future new home.
Real Madrid have a rich winning tradition fueled by star power – from the likes of Alfredo Di Stefano Ferenc Puskas, Raul, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo Nazario and Cristiano Ronaldo – and maybe Kylian Mbappe will join this list soon.
There’s no doubt that Kylian Mbappe has the makings to be Real Madrid’s next superstar for the foreseeable future. But as soon as he joins them this July, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he must prepare himself for the daunting spotlight and the heavy burden of lofty expectations.
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