How would Kylian Mbappe fit into Real Madrid’s Galacticos 3.0?

For the second time in two years, Kylian Mbappe is into the final six months of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain. This means that he is free to negotiate with clubs interested in signing him on a free transfer this summer. 

The Frenchman is widely recognised as one of the best football players on the planet, and his preferred destination is thought to be Real Madrid. Although the fact remains that there will always be huge competition for a high-quality player who is available for free. 

The frenzied and protracted transfer saga’s from the past show that nothing is certain until the contracts have been signed. 

Real are joint top of La Liga, but their failure to adequately replace Karim Benzema has left their squad looking lightweight in attack. Manager Carlo Ancelotti altered his tactics to deploy Bellingham in an advanced role, but it will take more than the Englishman’s goal scoring to compete against Europe’s best. 

Kylian Mbappe’s Transfer Value - how much is he worth? 

As per FootballTransfer’s Player Valuation Model, Mbappe is the third most valuable player in the world - only behind Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham. This will make him the highest valued free agent in history. 

Mbappe’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €125m has been on a bit of a decline due to his expiring contract. But the Parisian is yet to reach his peak, and his value will be on the rise again when he signs a contract with his new team. 

How would Kylian Mbappe fit into Madrid's system? 

You would expect Mbappe to move to a new club and instantly have the team set up around him. But things are not quite so straightforward when you move to 14-time Champions League winners Real Madrid. 

His favoured position on Real’s left wing is taken up by Vinicius Junior, who himself has transformed into one of the most formidable wide attackers in the world. The logical solution would be to play Mbappe through the middle like a direct Karim Benzema replacement - a position the 25-year-old is used to playing for PSG.  

When asked about this positional change after the Trophée des Champions final last week, he said: "Today I play in the middle, but the good thing is that no matter where I play, I don’t think I’ll have any problem performing well." 

Unsurprisingly Mbappe was on target in that game. His pace and dribbling will always make him a threat in behind whether it be out wide or through the middle. While his 9.21 penalty area touches, 4.59 shots and consistent xG over performance per 90 makes him as lethal in front of goal as anyone else in world football.  

Although he has moaned about playing through the middle, Mbappe is not your classic winger who hugs the touchline. He has a significant presence in the central half spaces, and likes to regularly drop deep to combine with his teammates. 

Los Blancos are less rigid in their structure compared to other top teams, and allow their players more positional freedom. Their midfield is also better suited to utilise the link-up play of the former AS Monaco man, making it easier for him to come on board. 

But Mbappe can play anywhere across the front line, and having him play off the right and interchange with Vinicius could be an option. Yet another variation could be to use the French captain in a front two with the Brazilian, as part of  a 4-4-2 diamond formation often favoured by Ancelotti this season. 

The policy of bringing together world class players has proven to be very successful at the Santiago Bernabeu, and Ancelotti is the best man to oversee this player-centric system. 

Real Madrid has a way of humbling even the biggest of egos. The outcome that they will be looking for is for the World Cup winner to come in and combine with their star-studded squad to elevate their overall game.

Florentino Perez will be aware that he risks disrupting the dressing room, but if all goes to plan then he will finally land his man, and Mbappe is certain to get his hands on the elusive Champions League trophy as a part of the latest Galacticos revolution.

This article was provided by FootballTransfers