How Real Madrid will line up with Mbappe
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 3 May 2022 18:22 BST
- 3 min read
Real Madrid are expected to make a move for Kylian Mbappe during this upcoming transfer window in their bid to reassert their dominance on European football.
Mbappe, after all, has been on the forefront of Real Madrid minds for over a year now. With his contract expiring in the summer, all the chatter has been that he will make a move to the Bernabeu side.
Nothing is guaranteed, of course, and Paris Saint-Germain are ready to throw their sizeable resources towards keeping the World Cup winner, but the odds are that he will be turning out in the famous white next season and not in the iconic blue, white and red of PSG.
Of course, this is bound to have a profound impact on how Real Madrid line up next season, with Mbappe primarily deployed either through the centre, where Karim Benzema has been their talisman, or out on the left, where Vinicius Junior has enjoyed a coming-of-age season.
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Linking Benzema and Mbappe up will likely be Real Madrid’s primary goal, having seen the pair combine so impressively for France. This could mean that Vinicius Jr is shunted to the right wing or, alternatively, they could move away from a 4-3-3 formation entirely to accommodate the pair.
France, for example, have moved to a 3-4-1-2 system to allow the pair to play as close together as possible. Les Bleus, though, have the additional quandary of fitting Antoine Griezmann into their ranks.
Vinicius Jr, however, provides arguably a greater headache.
The in-form 21-year-old surely cannot be dropped following his electric campaign, so the natural solution to accommodate the Brazilian would be to field him on the right – a position where he has limited experience, especially in recent months. However, that's perhaps not fair on a player who has shone off the left this year.
How Mbappe could fit in at Real Madrid
There are certain advantages to playing Mbappe on the left, though. Foremost among these would that he could readily strike up an understanding with Ferland Mendy at left-back. However, already a fluent Spanish speaker, linking up with Dani Carvajal should not pose too many issues on the right.
It may be that Mbappe initially finds himself out on that flank, having played that role on a semi-regular basis with success during his first season at PSG. This is not where he is at his strongest – or happiest – though.
With Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid, something may ultimately have to give in the front three. The new man may have to sacrifice himself initially, but his long-term goal will surely be to find his place in one of his favoured roles sooner rather than later.
