Solving the Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe problem

The biggest transfer coup of the last summer transfer window was Real Madrid adding Kylian Mbappe to their squad as a free agent.

The transfer was a big deal not just because he is one of the world’s best players, but the Frenchman could have cost them 100s of millions of dollars if he had not run down his PSG contract.

Mbappe is already a global icon at 25, having won the World Cup in 2018 and reached the final again in 2022.

The Frenchman scored a hattrick in that final in Qatar and that was more than he could have done to win it, but Argentina won the final.

He has broken the goalscoring record at PSG and remains one of the leading scorers in Champions League history, so there is hardly something more that Mbappe could do apart from moving to Real Madrid.

This transfer has been in the making since 2022 when he ran down his initial deal at PSG, but pressure from outside made him sign a new PSG contract.

The Frenchman remains one of the world’s best player and there is hardly another club that he would have moved to apart from Real Madrid.

He has finally made the move and fulfilled one of Florentino Perez's promises to the fans who buy Real Madrid tickets.

Did Madrid need Kylian Mbappe?

As impressive as the star names in their squad are at the moment, Real Madrid has one of the smallest squads in European football.

Since the departure of Karim Benzema, they haven’t had a good number nine and it seemed they were keeping that spot for Mbappe to come and fill.

Considering that a huge void was left behind at the Bernabeu when Benzema left, Madrid probably had to sign Mbappe now or later in the future.

However, did Real Madrid really need Kylian Mbappe when they won the Champions League without him last season?

Los Blancos are already a winning machine that know how to win games no matter who steps on the pitch to represent them, especially in the Champions League.

When everyone thought they would struggle following the departure of Benzema, they coped well and added another European trophy to their cabinet.

Mbappe, meanwhile, also won another league title in France and finished as the top scorer in Ligue 1 again.

This makes him desirable to clubs around the world, but for the sake of fairness, Madrid did not have to add him to their squad.

Signing him takes them few steps closer to being the perfect football team and we have never seen any perfect football squad.

Now that they have added him to their group and made it unstoppable on paper, where will he play?

How has Mbappe performed playing as a number nine

Mbappe has spent most of his career playing as a left winger because he loves to cut into his right foot and shoot to score.

His pace means he can beat his man and have enough time to open his body to curl in an effort on goal.

Most of his trademark goals have come from this position, so when he was linked with a move to Real Madrid, football fans in general, wondered where he would play.

Vinicius Junior has made Real Madrid’s left-wing his and because he plays it well, it makes almost no sense to change the Brazilian’s position.

Mbappe is a big player, but Vinicius has been a big part of Madrid’s recent success, having helped them to win the Champions League in 2022 and 2024.

The Brazilian’s importance means Mbappe has to play as a number nine and it is a role he has played in many times in his career.

He began his career at Monaco as a number nine before finding joy on the left wing at PSG, but with Neymar in the squad he also played mostly as a number nine.

In Ligue 1, he played 154 games for Monaco and PSG combined as a centre forward and he scored 128 goals and provided 50 assists.

That is still more than one G/A per match, which is all he needs to do at Madrid to break some club goalscoring records.

As Vinicius holds tightly to the left wing spot, Mbappe has already scored four times in his first six matches as a centre-forward for Madrid, so he looks good in that position. 

Why Vinicius Junior should not give up his spot on the left

Most people will think it is better for Vinicius to give up his spot on the left side of Madrid’s front-three so that Mbappe can blossom.

When the Frenchman announced he was joining Madrid, his position on the pitch was a subject of debate and some neutrals believe he is a bigger star and should take up Vinicius’ role on the pitch.

However, that would be disrespectful to the Brazilian winger who has been a superb member of the Madrid squad.

Junior does not have to give up his spot on the team for Mbappe because he is also a global star and has been delivering in that role since he moved to Madrid.

The Brazilian remains reliable and should not be made to change roles because Madrid has now signed Mbappe when he clearly can still be relied on.

Mbappe, as the new comer, has to get used to playing as a centre forward and it is a role he has played in before now.

Mbappe is an established goalscorer and he can accomplished great things as a number 9 at Madrid, although he is not similar in style to Benzema.

These are just early days and the signs are good, so there is no need to change the order of things at the club to fit him into the group.

How will Jude Bellingham help?

Bellingham was arguably the most important player at Real Madrid last season as he stepped up to get the goals the team needed since it did not have a striker.

His fine form helped them to win the league and Champions League double and he remains a key player for the club.

It remains to be seen how well the Englishman will perform for the club this season after that amazing campaign.

However, Mbappe's arrival means he will not have to score so many goals again for the team.

However, he could help the Frenchman and his attacking partners get the goals for the team by becoming more creative.

He needs to master the act of providing assists for Mbappe through the middle, Junior and Rodrygo on either wing.

If he does his job well, the team will continue to score and Mbappe might have a prolific season.

Conclusion

Mbappe’s arrival at Madrid is expect to make them an even better team, however, that would depend on how the attackers combine as teammates. If they fail to build on-field chemistry, it could go bad.