After years of speculation and rumours, Kylian Mbappe is finally a Real Madrid player although there is still a big question mark looming over where the Frenchman will play.
Mbappe has made it no secret that his preferred position is on the left and that he does not enjoy playing as a central striker. The problem, however, is that Real Madrid’s best player and the current Ballon d’Or favourite, Vinicius Jr, is occupying that position.
Speaking on the Obi One podcast, hosted by John Obi Mikel, manager Carlo Ancelotti was asked about where he sees Mbappe playing. He said: “I see him playing up front, and the attack is quite wide.
The pitch is 68 metres wide, and we have to cover those 68 metres with the players in front. It could be Vinícius. Because if I ask you, where did Vinícius play last season, it’s difficult to say. He didn’t play like a [left] winger. The important key to an attacking play is the mobility of the players.”
These quotes are fascinating and give a real insight into the Italian’s plan. Ancelotti likes to give his players freedom and to play to their strengths. As such, Vini Jr could play wide left with Mbappe more inside, but still on the left. This would work for Los Blancos as they have been used to playing without a central striker since Karim Benzema departed last summer.
The front three of Vini Jr, Mbappe and Rodrygo is very dynamic and the three will interchange often during games. Mbappe will still spend time as a central figure, even if it’s not his ideal situation.
Alluding to this, Ancelotti also said: “Fitting Mbappé in the team won’t be a problem. It’s important to remember what he said, he’ll adapt to the team. The key is that each player has to contribute talent and quality in service to the team. Sometimes you can play on the left, sometimes you can play in the middle.”
With such an abundance of attacking talent, Real Madrid will not be short of options next season but fitting them into the team whilst keeping egos happy will definitely be a challenge.
