Over the course of the summer transfer window, we will take a close look at some of the best business with our ‘Transfer of the Week’ columns. To kick things off, we will focus on what will surely go down as the biggest move of the season – Kylian Mbappé to Real Madrid.
By Neel Shelat
Some transfers demand a lot of analysis in various aspects – the player’s profile, the club’s tactical setup, whether or not the two match and so on and so forth. Some others, though, are very straightforward. One of the world’s very best players joining one of the world’s very best clubs falls firmly in the latter category, at least as far as Kylian Mbappé and Real Madrid are concerned.
The two had been courting each other for quite a while, and for good reason too. Mbappé and Real Madrid are a perfect match, not just because of their world-class quality but also from stylistic and tactical perspectives.
With Carlo Ancelotti in charge, Los Blancos have adopted a very player-oriented approach to their tactics. Last summer’s star signing, Jude Bellingham is a prime example of that. Following his arrival (and the departure of Karim Benzema at the same time), the Italian tactician surprised everyone by switching to a 4-3-1-2 formation with Bellingham as the number ten and no recognised striker more often than not – including in the UEFA Champions League final.
Truthfully, though, there is no point in understanding Real Madrid’s approach through shapes and numbers. The key to everything they did involved giving their best players the freedom and roles that best suit their style of play. So, Vinícius Júnior regularly peeled out all the way to the left touchline in this formation to receive the ball and dribble out wide while Bellingham picked up pockets of space between opposition lines in central regions, Rodrygo drifted inside from the right and Federico Valverde or Dani Carvajal added width to the attacks on the right.
That was just one of many variations Los Blancos used depending on their XI and the opponent, but the point is Ancelotti will do anything to give his players the best platform possible to shine.
One consequence of the makeup of Real Madrid’s attack was that it naturally became heavily left-biased – as many as 40% of their attacks developed down that side. So, the big question many have posed about Mbappé’s signing is whether adding another left-sided attacker to such a side is a good idea.
The answer is a resounding yes. For most teams, going too heavy on one wing in attack is a bad thing because it makes them predictable and easy to defend against, but there is an exception when the players on that wing are as good as Vinícius, Mbappé and Bellingham are. The opponents could get half their team to support the full-back, and they’d still have a very tough time stopping these attackers.
The other concern that has been raised on the back of Vinícius’ stellar seasons is whether his influence will be limited by Mbappé’s presence or if the two might get in each others’ way a bit. That is a non-issue as well, as both have the quality and intelligence to form a great partnership and soon should develop great understanding. Moreover, while they may play on the same side, they do not tend to occupy the same zones. As aforementioned, the Brazilian winger likes to drift out wide and start his dribbles close to the touchline, whereas the French forward is better off in the channel from where he can drive towards goal and always be close to shooting range.
Of course, Mbappé brings goals to the table more than anything else having scored at least 39 goals across all competitions for Paris Saint-Germain in all but two seasons since joining them in 2017.
Unlike most prolific forwards, though, he does not necessarily get on the scoresheet by taking up dangerous positions in the box and getting on the end of crosses and cut-backs. While he can do that, he is much better at getting shots off after carrying the ball, typically driving inside onto his right foot from the left. His shotmap from the last Ligue 1 season illustrates that tendency.
Of course, his finishing quality needs no description, so in this way, Mbappé could be the crowning jewel in Real Madrid’s already-exceptional attack as someone who can consistently return with 40 goals a season.
He is sure to be supported by Vinícius and Bellingham, but the fourth attacking spot on the right side might be up for grabs. Rodrygo will be the most established candidate but youngsters such as Endrick and Arda Güler will pose a good challenge, while someone like Valverde could be an option in certain games where Ancelotti wants to add some defensive balance to the side.
The defending side of things is the only aspect the Italian tactician will really have to think about. Even last season, Real Madrid were far from the best team in the world out of possession as their high press was generally disjointed and poor. Quite often, Bellingham would step up to chase the ball but not receive adequate backing from his teammates, allowing the opposition to easily play around him. Adding another player who does very little defensive work to the side will have to be carefully managed, and will possibly require more tracking back from Vinícius.
On the flip side, though, having Mbappé up top makes Real Madrid even more of a scary counterattacking prospect, so many sides will have to be incredibly cautious while attacking them. In most games, that should be enough to support the defence even if the current issues are not fixed.
All things considered, it seems impossible that Mbappé’s move to Real Madrid is anything but a blockbuster success. Florentino Pérez wheeled out his side’s 15 Champions League trophies for his unveiling, and they should have a few more to manage by the time they sign their next superstar.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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