MADRID (AP) — A new “Galactic” era could be upon us at Real Madrid.
After years without a big-name signing, Madrid are pursuing one of the biggest names in football, adding Kylian Mbappe to a long list of top players in the history of the Spanish giants.
The France great will join a squad that already boasts young stars Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham and will look to set Madrid on a path to further success for years to come.
Madrid won a record-extending 15th Champions League title on Saturday, and their sixth in the last decade, and two days later announced they had finally signed Mbappe after several failed attempts to sign the playmaker.
“Finally, officially, I will be a Real Madrid player for the next five years. I couldn’t be happier, it’s a dream come true and there are so many emotions,” Mbappe said in Metz on Tuesday, on the eve of France’s friendly against Luxembourg. “I’m very, very happy, relieved and very proud to join the club I’ve always dreamed of.”
Madrid haven’t made a big transfer since signing Eden Hazard from Chelsea in 2019, but the Belgian playmaker failed to fully live up to expectations. The last time Madrid was in the market for a top star was in 2014-15, when they snapped up Colombian playmaker James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos, who retired at the end of this season. Madrid also signed Gareth Bale in 2013 and Luka Modric in 2012.
Karim Benzema, who succeeded Cristiano Ronaldo at forward in 2018, left last year to accept a lucrative contract in Saudi Arabia. He was replaced by Joselu, an unspectacular striker who played a key role in the team’s run to the Champions League final this season.
Mbappe, who had his photograph taken with Ronaldo during a visit to Madrid aged 14, said he had received messages of welcome from current and former players, including Ronaldo.
After Ronaldo’s departure and the gamble on Hazard, club president Florentino Pérez has mainly used players who were already in the team, betting on inexperienced youngsters such as Vinicius and Rodrigo, who were signed at a young age and gradually integrated into the main squad. Brazil’s latest sensation, Endric, is expected to follow a similar path after joining from Palmeiras ahead of the new season.
Madrid’s ‘Galacticos’ were formed by Pérez in the early 2000s and included the signings of Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Brazilian greats Ronaldo and David Beckham, all of whom helped the club win one Champions League and two Spanish league titles.
Madrid have not overspent in the recent transfer market, saving money by signing Mbappe as a free agent and positioning themselves to add more top players if necessary.
“This club is never satisfied,” Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said after Saturday’s 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium.
The addition of the talented Mbappe would give Ancelotti an even stronger attacking force.
“We are missing a little bit in terms of a decisive No. 9,” the 20-year-old Bellingham said of Mbappe, who has made a huge impact in his first season at Madrid.
But Ancelotti will need to tweak his squad to find a home for Mbappe. The 25-year-old Frenchman thrives on the left flank of the attack, where 23-year-old Vinicius regularly plays. On the other flank, 23-year-old Rodrigo is often seen, but he has recently spoken about the possibility of leaving Madrid if he feels he is no longer useful to the club.
If Ancelotti wants to continue relying on Rodrigo, he would likely have Mbappe flanked by the two Brazilians in a 4-3-3 formation, which would require the manager to either sacrifice a midfielder or move Federico Valverde further forward on the right flank of the attack.
Regardless of where or when he plays, Mbappe is already guaranteed one thing: he will earn a prominent place in the list of Madrid’s famous “Galacticos.”
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