Real Madrid duo Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior are increasingly unlikely to be able to coexist at the Bernabeu, according to reports.
Los Blancos have had a turbulent season with Xabi Alonso sacked in January after rumours of dressing room unrest of tactics and team selection.
Real Madrid immediately appointed Alvaro Arbeloa as his successor but it was not made clear whether the Spaniard would be an interim boss until the end of the season or the permanent head coach.
Things haven’t got any better under Arbeloa with Real Madrid exiting the Champions League to Bayern Munich earlier this month, while they trail arch-rivals Barcelona by 11 points in the La Liga title race.
It is now certain that Real Madrid will bring in a new head coach in the summer with Arbeloa failing his audition to take over on a permanent basis.
Numerous names have been linked with an arrival, including former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and current Benfica head coach Jose Mourinho, but ESPN (via The Chosun) claims that the ‘real problem at Real Madrid might not be the manager’s name’.
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It is understood that ‘within Real Madrid, there are opinions that Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior are difficult to coexist. However, President Florentino Perez believes that even with both players, he can build a championship team.’
Perez has always done his best to attract the best players in world football to Real Madrid, going back to the early 2000s when he brought in Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, and David Beckham.
However, that Galactico model hasn’t always worked for the Real Madrid president and now the question is being asked at the Bernabeu: ‘Is the current model still valid?’.
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The report continues: ‘There are no shortage of opinions within the club that Mbappé and Vinícius are not a good fit. Both players prefer movements that start from the left and cut inside toward the center. While their individual abilities are undeniable, when they play together, they are criticized for dividing the space rather than enhancing each other’s strengths.’
The report in ESPN goes on to state: ‘From President Pérez’s perspective, both players are world-class. One is a French superstar with explosive speed and decisive finishing, while the other is the Brazilian ace who has led Real’s attack for years. Therefore, for President Pérez, giving up on this combination is close to denying his own philosophy.’
Real Madrid will urgently be looking to find a solution so that the Mbappe and Vinicius Junior conundrum doesn’t turn into ‘Barcelona’s Griezmann-Messi failure’.
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