Real Madrid's long-awaited signing of Kylian Mbappe represents a huge opportunity for the reigning Spanish and European champions, but it also raises some question marks.
The first is how Mbappe will fit into the starting XI – his preferred position is on the left wing, where Vinicius Junior, the team's top scorer last season with 24 goals, plays – and the second is how the 25-year-old Frenchman will fit into the existing dressing room, an aspect that the La Liga club looked at when they began to seriously consider signing Mbappe again in January.
Athletic Manager Carlo Ancelotti has previously detailed his plans to deploy a flexible 4-3-3 system, with Mbappe playing centrally, Vinicius Jr. on the left and Rodrigo on the right, which would create a defensive 4-4-2 with Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. as the two up front, with Jude Bellingham moving to left midfield.
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That leaves the question of personality. Madrid did not want Mbappe, who renews his contract in 2022, to enjoy as much power as he did at his previous club, Paris Saint-Germain. They also feared that giving him an excessively high salary would raise suspicions from a harmonious group of players. Reports suggest that Mbappe will be paid a signing-on bonus of 100 million euros ($109 million) and a salary of 15 million euros.
The current Madrid squad is considered to be the most united in recent memory, and a source close to the dressing room, who asked to remain anonymous to protect their relationships, like all the sources quoted in this article, said the atmosphere in the squad is the best it has ever been, acknowledging that he has never felt the same way before.
This is something recently retired Toni Kroos mentioned at an event last week when asked if he stays in contact with his former Madrid teammates.
“Yes, I have a personal relationship with many of them,” said the German midfielder. “Not only was we very successful last season, but we also had a great dressing room. I can't say the same for every team I've played for, but they are people I would like to keep in contact with.”
Mbappe was unveiled with much fanfare last week (Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sports Images/Getty Images)
Signs of this were evident during the players' summer break.
As in 2023, Vinicius Junior invited several of his club teammates to his hometown of Rio de Janeiro after Brazil's Copa America quarter-final defeat to Uruguay this month. Many were unable to travel due to family commitments or international schedule conflicts, but Eduardo Camavinga, Ferland Mendy, Eder Militão and Rodrigo did attend.
The players took part in a charity event for the winger's foundation, Instituto Vini Junior, which has invested 1.3 million euros in the past year to support more than 3,500 children. There, they enjoyed a few days of rest, partying and playing football with each other. They were joined by their entourage and other notable figures from the world of sports and beyond, including NBA star Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics and singers Ozuna, Rau Alejandro and Ludmila.
Mbappe was one of the players invited, along with Endric, a fellow countryman and friend of Vinicius Junior and now a Madrid team-mate. But the pair were due to be officially presented at the club's Santiago Bernabeu stadium after playing in the European Championship and Copa America respectively. Mbappe was due to be presented last Tuesday, Endric this Saturday, while the two had to deal with the logistics of their new lives in Spain.
Mbappe admitted in his opening press conference that it was Vinicius Junior who ultimately inspired him to join Madrid. When asked which players had spoken to him about the club before his move from PSG, Mbappe replied:
“All the French players always told me and explained to me that this is the best club in the world,” Mbappe said. “Also Vinicius, who invited me to come and join him in attack. I'm grateful to them because it's always good when they want me to play with them.”
Mbappe with current Madrid team-mates Camavinga and Chouameni during a training session with France (Frank Fyffe/AFP via Getty Images)
Even before Mbappe's contract was officially announced, several players had publicly supported it, either implicitly or explicitly.
When Madrid sparked transfer rumors last year, Rodrigo posted a picture of himself partying with Mbappe in August, and when the transfer was announced there was a huge reaction on social media from the whole squad.
Sources at Madrid's training ground, Valdebebas, say Mbappe is “intelligent” and “cheerful” and has made a good impression. The club has made a lower offer this time than when their 2022 offer was rejected, but his base salary is one of the highest in the squad (including signing-on bonuses, he is by far the highest-paid player).
Mbappe was right in his opening press conference, saying he would play if Ancelotti told him to, adding that he had no plans to wear the No. 10 shirt he has worn for the past seven seasons as a nod to long-time Croatia midfielder Luka Modric (Modric will wear No. 9).
So the signs are good, and it's worth considering what happened when another big name, Bellingham, joined Madrid last year.
Initial reports suggested that Bellingham and Vinicius Jr. did not get along, but that was quickly proven wrong. The two would sometimes travel to training in the same car, and Vinicius Jr. would imitate the Englishman's “open arms” celebration when celebrating goals. During Madrid's La Liga title celebrations in May, Bellingham was interviewed by the club's official television channel and said, “I'm with the best players in the world,” as he embraced Vinicius Jr.
The Brazilian referred to Bellingham as “Belighor” during the interview, one of several nicknames used within the team.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is nicknamed “Girafa” (Giraffe) because he is 6ft 7in (200cm) tall, Antonio Rüdiger “Loco” (Crazy), David Alaba “Alabama”, Ferland Mendy “The General”, Eduardo Camavinga “Pantera” (Leopard), Federico Valverde “Halcon” (Hawk), “Gaucho” (a cowboy-like rider who is the national symbol of his native Uruguay) or “Bombazo” (bomb – after the power of his shot) and Arda Güler “Abi” (“older brother” in his native Turkish). Players frequently use these nicknames on social media, a testament to the positive atmosphere in the dressing room.
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That was bolstered by a mix of young and experienced players such as Nacho, Kroos and Joselu last season, but they all left the club this summer, although experienced players such as 38-year-old Modric and 33-year-old Lucas Vazquez have stayed on with a further year on their contracts.
Club staff have played a key role in building that harmony.
Last summer, influential chief scout Juni Calafat took new signings Bellingham, Güler and Brahim Diaz, who had returned from a three-year loan spell at AC Milan, out to dinner at a well-known restaurant in central Madrid. Güler later hosted a barbecue at his home after a crucial La Liga win over Barcelona in April, attended by Brahim, Valverde and staff.
The players have a great relationship with Ancelotti and the other managers, and Carlo's son and assistant, Davide, is a key figure because at 35 he is close in age to the players and speaks several languages.
Carlo and Davide Ancelotti have a great relationship with the players (Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
They also have a good relationship with the doctors, physiotherapists and trainers – as evidenced by the fact that physiotherapist Jaime Salom insisted on being at the Bernabeu when Militão returned from a serious knee injury in the match against Athletic Bilbao in March, despite his mother having died that week – and Rodrigo dedicated a goal to Salom in that match.
“These details are usually provided in private and often cannot be seen, but they are very important,” a Valdebebas source said at the time.
All of this paints a picture of a united dressing room, ready to welcome a new star in Mbappe.
(Top photo: Getty Images)
