Real Madrid fans have demanded that the club make a drastic change regarding Kylian Mbappe after watching training footage.
Mbappe, 25, joined Madrid in June 2024 after his PSG contract expired.
The 2018 World Cup winner reportedly earned a tidy €150m signing-on fee to add to his €15 million per year salary, according to ESPN sources.
When he was unveiled as a Madrid player in front of a packed Santiago Bernabeu on July 16 – he explained how joining Los Blancos was “a dream come true”.
However, things have not gone as well as he may have liked so far, with the 15-time European champions sitting second in La Liga – six points behind arch-rivals Barcelona.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side have also sustained shock defeats against AC Milan and Lille, which saw them slump to 18th in the 36-team Champions League group phase.
Ancelotti has opted for a star-studded front three of left forward Vinicius Jr. and right attacker Rodrygo, with Mbappe playing as a ‘number nine’ in a central role.
However, this may be causing problems as both Vini Jr. and Mbappe tend to favour playing on the left flank, allowing them to cut inside when attacking the opposition defence.
The Madrid boss arguably has to play both of the stars, but of course, both can’t play on the left at the same time.
Kylian Mbappe has been sharp in training this week (Credit:Getty)
As expected, Mbappe still sports an impressive record of eight goals in 16 competitive appearances for the 2023/24 La Liga champions, but it is the overall flow and cohesion of the team’s play that has been the subject of concern.
So, the Italian manager is left with a big decision to make.
What Real Madrid fans think
Madrid fans made their feelings clear on social media when footage emerged of the Frenchman this week.
Mbappe could be seen running at his teammates in training. He could be seen chopping and changing direction at pace before running at the goal and providing an astute finish.
This ‘version’ of the prolific goal scorer was seen regularly during his time in Paris, with the 25-year-old regularly drifting towards the left flank rather.
And it seems as though Madrid fans are keen to see this in the Spanish capital.
One said: “Play him in the left-wing, and he will cook.”
Another added: “That’s because he’s playing as a LW, which is where he plays his best football.
“I genuinely think he is better than Vinicius Jr, and it’s only a matter of time before he starts playing in that position.”
With a third saying: “Yeah killing it in that left wing position.”