How do Real Madrid slot in Kylian Mbappe?

The sight of the best team in the world signing arguably the globe’s greatest player is an ominous one for rival teams, but that is exactly what Real Madrid have done after announcing the arrival of Kylian Mbappe.

The move, which finally brings an end to Real’s seven-year pursuit of the Frenchman, will see Carlo Ancelotti‘s side further supplement their embarrassment of riches in attack.

Yet it is not only Mbappe who will be walking out at the Bernabeu ahead of the new campaign, but also Brazilian wonderkid Endrick, who showed just what he is about when the 17-year-old scored the winner against England at Wembley in March.

Real’s attacking options are already the envy of many but with Mbappe and Endrick joining the likes of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jnr, Rodrygo, Arda Guler and Brahim Diaz, they will be a scary proposition for every opponent.

Those seven stars are all aged 25 or under as Real threaten to embark on an era of European dominance, which comes after they have won six of the last 11 Champions League titles.

However, football is never played on paper and could the arrival of Mbappe actually derail the Real juggernaut?

There is no doubt most teams would give up their options in a heartbeat if they were offered Real’s attacking riches, but how does Ancelotti fit all the stars into his side, while maintaining harmony among the squad?

The Italian preferred to utilise a split striker system this season, with Vinicius Jnr and Rodrygo on either side, and Bellingham slighter deeper as a false nine.

That was a combination that brought significant success as Bellingham added 23 goals and 13 assists, while Vinicius Jnr provided 35 goal contributions and has been tipped by many to win this year’s Ballon d’Or.

Although Rodrygo is touted as the one to be sacrificed for Mbappe, he still scored 17 times and made crucial contributions in crunch games against Man City and Barcelona.

It would seem unfair for Ancelotti to upset this balance, but he may be forced into a tough corner in order to make room for Mbappe.

As many teams have found in the past, such as England’s Golden Generation in the early 2000s, fitting several stars into one system can be difficult.

One obvious solution could be to move Bellingham deeper, particularly with Toni Kroos’ departure. 

But that has the potential to impact the Englishman, with the 20-year-old having arguably been the best attacking midfielder in Europe this season.

Meanwhile, although Mbappe brings with him a stunning record of 256 goals in 308 appearances over seven years in Paris, the French star still isn’t the elite striker that Real have craved since Karim Benzema’s departure last summer.

Although Joselu has proven to be an admirable back-up option this year – and scored several crucial goals – the 34-year-old is firmly a squad option for Ancelotti and his future at the club isn’t guaranteed.

In fact, Mbappe has often caused problems for both PSG and France due to his preference to feature off the left.

For Les Bleus, this has allowed Olivier Giroud to thrive, but The Athletic reported last season how he clashed with former PSG boss Christophe Galtier in regards to where he played.

This included a stinging post on his Instagram where he revealed he wanted to play on the wing and not as a ‘pivot’ in the middle.

He also repeatedly urged the club to sign a striker to avoid him having to fulfill that role, something they subsequently did with the additions of Goncalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani last summer.

This raises further questions given his preferred spot on the left is where Vinicius Jnr plays.

Meanwhile, Brahim Diaz proved to be a valuable addition to the squad’s attacking options upon his return from three seasons on loan at AC Milan.

Elsewhere, Guler, 19, dubbed the ‘Turkish Messi’, was already said to be frustrated at the lack of game time he received in his first season at the Bernabeu, a grievance that could increase when the Frenchman turns up.

It must be noted Mbappe did feature in a similar system to the one played by Real towards the back end of the campaign for PSG, with the Frenchman flanked by Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele in a split-striker formation, something that will help him to adapt.

Yet, whatever happens, Ancelotti has proven time and time again that he is the perfect manager to get the best out of star names, with the Italian’s man-management abilities unrivalled among colleagues.

There are also unlikely to be many other managers who have sympathy for Ancelotti given the plethora of attacking riches at his disposal.

But, while Madrid’s options will be the envy of others, the Italian will have to find a way to fit Mbappe into his side and ensure Real continue their dominance of the European game over the coming years.