Over the last few years, Real Madrid have been heavily linked with Kylian Mbappe. They missed out on signing him in 2022 when he decided to sign a contract extension with Paris Saint-Germain, but now, it looks to be clearer than ever that he will make the move to the Spanish capital next summer, when his current deal expires.
Real Madrid have been monitoring Mbappe’s situation closely over the last few months, although they cannot make an official move until six months before the 24-year-old’s contract expires, which would be at the end of December. On Saturday, they moved to quash speculation that they were already in talks with Mbappe over a move, saying it out of respect for PSG.
It seems very likely that Mbappe will end up at Real Madrid, although the same could have been said at this time two years ago, when he would go on to reject Los Blancos. Club bosses are well aware of this possibility, hence why backup options have been drawn up, with one reportedly sticking out among the rest.
According to Bild (via Fichajes), Real Madrid are very interested in signing Jamal Musiala, who narrowly lost out to Jude Bellingham in the race to win the Kopa Trophy, which was awarded earlier this week. The report states that the club have been quietly working on the possibility of signing Musiala for a considerable period of time, and they could have a real chance of closing the deal successfully.
First thing’s first, Musiala is easily one of the best young players in world football. He has been fantastic at Bayern Munich over the last couple of years, and he would be an excellent signing for Real Madrid.
However, there are doubts about whether Musiala is actually needed by Real Madrid. For starters, he shouldn’t be viewed as a “Plan B” to Mbappe, as they are two different players that play in two different positions. As a standalone signing, Musiala is good, but he’s not similar to Mbappe.
Furthermore, the role that Musiala excels at is similar to what Bellingham currently plays in Carlo Ancelotti’s system at Real Madrid. The Englishman is not going to be displaced for playing that “10” role, which would make it difficult for him and Musiala to play together, unless Bellingham is pushed back into a deeper midfield role.
If Real Madrid don’t sign Mbappe, it is essential that they go for a top-level “9”. If they can sign this and Musiala, then that would be outstanding for them. However, that is unlikely to be the case, so perhaps signing Musiala next summer is not the best idea.
As a signing, Musial would be excellent, although not overly necessary. As an Mbappe replacement, he’s not particularly suitable.
