Real Madrid’s long-awaited signing of Kylian Mbappe offers many advantages for the reigning Spanish and European champions, but there are some question marks.
One of these is the way Mbappe fits into the starting lineup, as his preferred position is on the left wing, where Vinicius Junior, last season’s top scorer with 24 goals, plays. The other is how the 25-year-old Frenchman will interact with an established dressing room – an aspect the La Liga club looked at in January when they once again began seriously considering signing him.
The Athletics has previously detailed how head coach Carlo Ancelotti plans to use a flexible 4-3-3 system, with Mbappe playing through the middle, Vinicius Jr on the left and Rodrygo on the right. This will be a 4-4-2 in defence, with Mbappe and Vinicius Jr as the front two and Jude Bellingham moving into left midfield.
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That leaves the question of personality. Madrid did not want Mbappé to enjoy the level of power he had at previous club Paris Saint-Germain after extending his contract there in 2022. They also feared that giving too high a salary would arouse suspicion among a harmonious group of players. Reports indicate that Mbappe will receive a signing bonus of around €100 million ($109 million; £84 million), followed by a salary of €15 million.
This current group of Madrid players is considered one of the most cohesive in recent years. Sources close to the locker room – who, like all those quoted in this article, asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships – have said the atmosphere is the best they have ever known and acknowledged that they have not felt comfortable in recent years felt the same way.
That was something recently retired Toni Kroos referred to when he was asked at an event last week if he wanted to stay in touch with one of his former Madrid teammates.
“Yes, I have a personal relationship with many of them,” said the German midfielder. “Last season was not only very successful, but we also had a top dressing room. I can’t say the same for every team I played for. These are people I would like to keep in touch with.”
Mbappe was presented to much fanfare last week (Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
There were signs of this during the players’ summer vacation.
Just like in 2023, Vinicius Jr. a selection of his teammates away to home city Rio de Janeiro after Brazil’s Copa America quarter-final exit against Uruguay this month. Many were unable to go due to family commitments or scheduling issues around international tournaments, but Eduardo Camavinga, Ferland Mendy, Eder Militao and Rodrygo did.
The players attended a charity event for the winger’s foundation, the Instituto Vini Jr – in which he has invested €1.3 million last year to help more than 3,500 children – and enjoyed a few days of rest, partying and playing football against each other. . They were joined by people close to them and other high-profile figures from the sports world and beyond, such as Boston Celtics NBA star Jaylen Brown and singers Ozuna, Rauw Alejandro and Ludmilla.
Mbappe was among the guests, along with Vinicius Jr.’s compatriot, friend and now Madrid teammate Endrick. But both were due to be officially unveiled at the club’s Santiago Bernabeu home stadium, following their respective involvements in the European Championship and Copa America – Mbappe was unveiled last Tuesday; Endrick will be present this Saturday and will have to deal with the logistics of their new life in Spain.
At his opening press conference, Mbappé confirmed that Vinicius Jr. had played a part in him eventually joining Madrid. He was asked which players had spoken to him about the club before his arrival from PSG.
“I had all the French players, who always told and explained to me that it is the best club in the world,” Mbappe said. “Also Vinicius, who asked me to come and said that we would play together in attack. I want to thank them because it’s always good that they want me to play with them.”
Mbappé with teammates Camavinga and Tchouameni, now Madrid, in training in France (Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)
Several players showed public support – implicit or explicit – for Mbappé’s signing before it was made official.
When rumors linked Madrid with the move last year, Rodrygo posted a photo of himself partying with Mbappe in August. And once the deal was announced, there was a big reaction on social media from the entire team.
Sources at Madrid’s training ground Valdebebas said Mbappe had made a good impression, describing him as “intelligent” and “cheerful”. The club offered him lower terms this time around than those in their failed 2022 proposal, although his base salary is among the highest in the squad (and including his signing bonus, he is by far their highest-paid player).
Mbappe made all the right noises in his first press conference by saying he would play wherever Ancelotti asked him to and adding that he was not considering taking the number 10 shirt worn by Luka Modric for the past seven seasons, out of respect in the long run. serving Croatian midfielder (he will wear number 9).
So there are good signs – and it is worth considering what happened when Bellingham, another big personality, came to Madrid last year.
Initial reports suggested that Bellingham and Vinicius Jr. didn’t get along, but that soon turned out not to be true. Sometimes they took the same car to training and Vinicius Jr. celebrated some of his goals by mimicking the Englishman’s ‘open arms’ celebration. When Bellingham was interviewed by the club’s official TV channel during the La Liga title celebrations in Madrid in May, he said: “I’m here, with the best player in the world,” as he praised Vinicius Jr.
The Brazilian called Bellingham ‘Belligol’ in that interview, one of the many nicknames within the selection.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is 200 cm tall and is known as ‘Jirafa’ (Giraffe), Antonio Rudiger is ‘Loco’ (Crazy), David Alaba is ‘Alabama’, Ferland Mendy is ‘General’, Eduardo Camavinga is ‘Pantera’ (Panther ), Federico Valverde is ‘Halcon’ (Hawk), ‘Gaucho’ (the cowboy-like horsemen who are a folk symbol in his native Uruguay) or ‘Bombazo’ (Bombshell – because of the power of his shots), while Arda Guler is ‘Abi’ (‘older brother’ in the language of his Turkish homeland). Players regularly use these nicknames on social media, a testament to the positive atmosphere in the locker room.
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That was helped last season by the mix of youngsters and veterans such as Nacho, Kroos and Joselu – all of whom left the club this summer. But other experienced players such as Modric, 38, and Lucas Vazquez, 33, are staying after extending their contracts for another year.
The club staff has played an important role in creating that harmony.
Last summer, influential chief scout Juni Calafat took newcomers Bellingham and Guler and Brahim Diaz (who returned from a three-year loan at AC Milan) for dinner at a well-known restaurant in the center of Madrid. Guler then hosted a barbecue at his home after the crucial La Liga win against Barcelona in April, attended by Brahim, Valverde and staff.
The players have a great relationship with Ancelotti and the other coaches. Carlo’s son and assistant Davide is key as, at 35, he is closer in age to the players and speaks several languages.
Carlo and Davide Ancelotti have a good relationship with the players (Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
They also have a good relationship with doctors, physiotherapists and trainers. That became clear when physiotherapist Jaime Salom insisted on being at the Bernabeu for Militao’s comeback from a serious knee injury against Athletic Bilbao in March, despite the death of his mother that week. Rodrygo dedicated a goal to Salom in that match.
“These kinds of details are usually given privately and often you cannot see them, but they are very important,” a source from Valdebebas said at the time.
It all paints a picture of a united dressing room, ready to welcome a new star player in Mbappé.
(Top Photos: Getty Images)