Real Madrid questioning whether Kylian Mbappe was ‘the right move’ as French ‘Galatico’ is warned next season will bring ‘unprecedented pressure’

According to ESPN, Real Madrid's recent struggles have raised serious doubts about Mbappe. His 2024 free transfer from PSG seemed a no-brainer, and he has delivered individually, scoring 31 La Liga goals last season and 24 this term. However, club sources now question if adding the forward was the right move when Vinicius Junior was the established star. Described as president Florentino Perez's "personal project", Mbappe's arrival has unbalanced the side. Three successive managers - Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso, and Alvaro Arbeloa - have struggled to create a structure that accommodates Mbappe, Vinicius, and Jude Bellingham.

The tactical headache quickly evolved into an internal power struggle, highlighted by the Vinicius versus Mbappe debate during Alonso's brief 233-day tenure. While Mbappe's domestic numbers remain solid, his European impact is under heavy scrutiny. He has played 25 Champions League games for Real Madrid, and the club have lost 10 of them, including knockout eliminations to Arsenal and Bayern Munich. Furthermore, persistent injuries have limited his participation this year, forcing him to miss crucial, high-stakes fixtures against Manchester City, Benfica, and Sunday's climactic 2-0 Clasico defeat to Barcelona.

For the first time, Mbappe's attitude and commitment are being seriously questioned. His recent holiday with his partner while recovering from injury - returning to Madrid minutes before his team-mates faced Espanyol - was labelled a PR disaster. His camp dismissed the criticism as "an overinterpretation of elements related to a recovery period strictly supervised by the club." During his absence for the Clasico, his support was limited to an Instagram post saying "Hala Madrid," published when Barcelona were already 2-0 up. Additionally, sources report behind-the-scenes flashpoints involving the French star and Arbeloa's coaching staff.

Consequently, Mbappe will enter next season under unprecedented pressure and a new kind of scrutiny. Questioned like never before, the French forward must deliver on both an individual and collective level. He desperately needs to justify his prominent place at the heart of Real Madrid's faltering project before the situation deteriorates further.