Real Madrid overlooked a significant warning before securing Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer, according to a report.
After years of speculation linking him to Los Blancos, Mbappe finally joined Real Madrid in the summer when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired.
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Although he accepted a substantial pay cut, Mbappe is still reportedly the club’s highest earner and received a massive £128 million signing bonus. ..Continue Reading
However, the French star’s early performances in Madrid have fallen short of expectations. Despite wearing the iconic No.9 jersey and scoring nine goals in 18 games, his presence seems to have disrupted the team’s cohesion.
Real Madrid currently trail Barcelona in La Liga and rank a disappointing 24th in the Champions League standings.
Mbappe has played both centrally and on the left but has struggled to replicate his scintillating form from PSG. His confidence seemed shaken during the clash with Liverpool, where he missed a penalty saved by Caoimhin Kelleher and was effectively contained by right-back Conor Bradley.
A new report sheds light on Mbappe’s difficulties. According to the Daily Mail, the forward has covered significantly less distance than his teammates in the Champions League this season, clocking 39km over five matches.
Relevo adds that Real Madrid had prior knowledge of Mbappe’s declining physical output. Reports highlighted a gradual drop in his metrics — including average distance covered, high-intensity runs, and sustained sprint speeds — since his World Cup triumph with France in 2018.
Despite these concerns, the 15-time European champions deemed Mbappe a signing they couldn’t afford to pass up.
While the Spanish media has been critical of the 25-year-old’s performances, manager Carlo Ancelotti has publicly defended him.
“He may be a bit lacking in confidence,” Ancelotti said in a press conference.
“When things don’t go your way, the idea you have to have is to play simple. It’s a bit like this moment, but you can’t judge him for missing a penalty. All players miss penalties. He has to keep working well. We have to be patient because he’s an extraordinary player.”
Real Madrid return to action on Sunday with a home match against Getafe.
