Real Madrid ‘will not wait’ for Mbappe to fill Benzema’s No.9 shirt

Robin Bairner

27 Sept 2023 11:24 BST
4 min read

Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid, PSG — © ProShots

Kylian Mbappe has been warned that he could face additional competition at Real Madrid if he completes a summer transfer, with the Bernabeu side studying options to arrive at the club in January.

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Mbappe remains strongly linked with Los Blancos, but with the PSG striker remaining tight-lipped over his future after rejecting a move to the Spanish giants little over a year ago, Carlo Ancelotti’s club are not counting on the player leaving the Ligue 1 outfit as a free agent next summer.

On top of this, Real Madrid have shown an alarming lack of potency in attack this season.

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In six LaLiga matches, they have scored only six times and struggled past Union Berlin at home in the Champions League by a single strike.

Had it not been for Jude Bellingham’s exceptional start to life in Spain, they would be a club in major trouble due to their lack of goal scorer.

They have suffered severely from the departure of Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, who moved to Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League on a free transfer during the summer.

Nacional reports that Ancelotti has lost faith in Joselu, who was dropped for the weekend’s 3-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid, while there is a sense that Rodrygo has not progressed as hoped. Rumours even suggest Los Blancos are open to selling the Brazilian youngster for big money.

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Real Madrid ready to make Vlahovic move

Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic has leapt to the top of Real Madrid’s January shortlist, with the Spaniards unwilling to “wait” to fill Benzema’s vacant jersey.

President Florentino Perez is “convinced” that Vlahovic is a player who would add a scoring touch to Ancelotti’s squad and is “worth paying every last cent” that the Turin club demand for the player.

It is thought that Juventus would sell Vlahovic for €80m, which would ensure the Serie A outfit recoup the vast majority of the transfer fee they paid Fiorentina for the 23-year-old centre forward in January 2022, when they beat competition to lands the striker.

Vlahovic’s stock has fallen significantly since then, despite scoring four Serie A goals in six matches this season.