Kylian Mbappe ‘will NOT be sold’! Real Madrid’s transfer stance revealed as French forward prepares to welcome ‘key backer’ Jose Mourinho to Santiago Bernabeu

Madrid are currently enduring a period of internal chaos, but TEAMtalkreports that Mbappe "will NOT be sold" and will instead have a key backer in incoming manager Mourinho. While an agreement has been struck for the Portuguese to take over permanently to stabilise the club, the atmosphere remains volatile. This follows a difficult week where the 27-year-old forward was subjected to intense vitriol from supporters during Thursday’s 2-0 win over Real Oviedo.

Following the Oviedo match, Mbappe sparked controversy by claiming he had been demoted in the pecking order, an assertion his manager immediately disputed. He stated: “I didn’t play because the coach [Alvaro Arbeloa] told me I’m the fourth-choice forward in the squad behind [Franco] Mastantuono, Vinícius [Júnior] and Gonzalo [Garcia]. I accept it and play the time I’m given. I think I played well. I was ready to start. I’m not angry with the manager. You always have to respect a coach’s decision. I’ll work hard to get back into the starting line-up.”

Arbeloa quickly moved to refute Mbappe's version of events, further highlighting the disconnect between the players and current coaching staff. He insisted: “I wish I had four forwards. I don’t have four forwards, and I certainly didn’t say anything like that to Mbappé. Perhaps he didn’t understand me. I don’t know what else to tell you. At no point could I tell him that he’s the fourth-choice forward.

"I’m the coach, and I’m the one who decides who plays and who doesn’t. I had a conversation with him before the match. I don’t know how he might have interpreted it. A player who wasn’t on the bench four days ago shouldn’t start today. It’s not a final, it’s not a do-or-die situation. That’s all. I don’t have any problem with anyone.”

The focus shifts to the arrival of Mourinho this summer, who is tasked with rehabilitating a squad struggling with ill-discipline. Madrid must first navigate a trip to Sevilla before hosting Athletic Bilbao on May 23 under interim guidance, with Mbappe determined to prove his detractors wrong. Once Mourinho officially takes charge, his primary objective will be overseeing a significant squad rebuild designed to halt Barcelona’s domestic dominance.