It was rumoured for well over a year that French forward Kylian Mbappe was Real Madrid’s number one target to boost their attacking department. And, after contract wrangles aplenty, Mbappe’s switch to the Bernabeu as a free agent has finally been confirmed. But just what does this mean for Los Blancos for the years to come?
Mbappe, 25, has long been considered one of the best players on the planet after his exploits predominantly with Paris Saint-Germain, his now former club. He’s undoubtedly one of the top forwards, whether he’s playing wide or central, but there’s always been a desire to see him ply his trade in a more competitive league. The France captain has finally got his chance to do just that, and the latest sports betting odds have his new employers, Real Madrid, tipped for success on all fronts, including La Liga and in the Champions League.
In many ways, Mbappe was seen as the final piece of the puzzle in Carlo Ancelotti’s team as the legendary Italian manager plots a way to ensure the current European champions remain the dominant force in Spanish football and on the continent. He’s got a group of players who are already world-class, which now includes Mbappe, but they’re yet to peak. So they’ll continue to get stronger, and they should be, fingers crossed, around for years to come. Even five years down the line, you’d not only expect this group to still be around but to be better and to ultimately be more successful.
Goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, defender Eder Militao, midfielders Aurelien Tchouameni, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham, Brahim Diaz and forwards Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Arda Guler and Mbappe, are all aged twenty-six and under. They’d all get into any side in world football. And they all play for Real Madrid and are expected to be at the Bernabeu for years to come. As a club, Real Madrid have always been front and centre when it comes to winning things, and it’s because they’re constantly evolving and when one group is ageing, they build a new group ready to take over.
Last season was a season of domination by Ancelotti’s team. They won the Supercopa, La Liga and the Champions League. It’s quite rightfully their target to win La Liga and the Champions League each season, and there’s disappointment if they fail in either competition. But, based on last season’s achievements and considering Mbappe’s arrival, could Real Madrid become invincible? An unbeatable force? Maybe not to the extent of what Bayer Leverkusen pulled off. But in terms of winning La Liga and the Champions League season after season?
As Los Blancos get stronger season after season by making world-class signings and developing players they’ve already got within their ranks, they not only move ahead of everyone else in Spain and in Europe, but their so-called rivals appear to lose ground. There was talk that Paris Saint-Germain were certain to win the Champions League one day. They had the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Mbappe starring for them, after all. And now they’ve just lost the final member of that trio to Real Madrid, which proves the point.
