Real Madrid season preview 2024-25: Los Blancos will be an unstoppable force with Kylian Mbappe finally on board

It's excellent. Real Madrid were the best team in Europe last year - winning a Champions League and La Liga double - and appear to have improved. The arrival of Mbappe is massive for Los Blancos. There may be some growing pains, but he's still a top three player in the sport. He will bring goals in spades.

Even without him, this is a young exciting core that will only get better. Federico Valverde had a quietly masterful season last year, while Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga continued to improve. If they take another stride, then Real could be special.

Carlo Ancelotti is the perfect man at the helm in all of this. The Italian penned a new contract in the middle of last campaign, and seems set to be the ideal figurehead as this side continues to evolve. Prepare for yet another season of brash confidence from the most outspoken fanbase in football.

Well, they wrapped up the big one - at a great price, too. Mbappe's arrival was rather delayed by Paris Saint-Germain's deep pockets, but it might just all be worth it given Los Blancos didn't have to pay a penny for him. He's supposedly on decent wages, too, and the signing bonus will raise some eyebrows (not just Ancelotti's).

But it hasn't all been smooth sailing. Real have reportedly shown interest in other targets - without much success. They joined half of Europe in the Leny Yoro sweepstakes before the centre-back chose Manchester United, proving unable to grant the teenager the playing time he wanted at a big club.

Talk about full-back acquisitions has also gone quiet. A Trent Alexander-Arnold move fell apart before it gathered any real momentum. Alphonso Davies' presumptive arrival is also in doubt - with Los Blancos likely having to wait 12 months before they can lure the Canadian to the Bernabeu.

Similarly, there remains interest in River Plate youngster Franco Mastantuono, but Madrid might not be too inclined to spend big on a player who won't have much of an impact this season.

Still, Mbappe's acquisition alone makes this summer nothing less than an overwhelming success in terms of incomings.

Joselu's has left the Bernabeu after he became a one-season cult hero, while stalwart Nacho has departed at the end of his contract, and Kroos, of course, has retired. Meanwhile, young centre-back Rafa Marin, 22, has been sold to Napoli.

If there are any concerns about this Madrid team - and there are admittedly few - they can be derived from what was an undeniably poor pre-season campaign.

Ancelotti gave all of his big names a month off, and Los Blancos' backups struggled as a result. Losses to Milan and Barcelona proved as points of annoyance, while there can't be much to take from a win over an admittedly miserable Chelsea side.

It wasn't the best slate for Real's backups, who struggled to find form. Brahim Diaz could have used the month-long tour of America to play his way into the picture, but failed to impress. Meanwhile, a 38-year-old Luka Modric certainly looked his age.

Perhaps most concerningly, though, was the poor form of Endrick. There will undoubtedly be massive pressure on the 18-year-old,€60 million (£50.7m/$65.2m) million price tag and all. He didn't really seize the moment this summer, failing to find the net off the back of a poor Copa America campaign.

Then again, the Super Cup showing against Atalanta...

Can anyone ever really doubt Ancelotti? There are a lot of questions to be asked here: how can you fit Vinicius and Mbappe into the same team? What will happen to Bellingham as a result? Does Rodrygo get any minutes?

Effectively, the manager has too many forwards, and not enough spots for them. The sexiest setup is a Vinicius-Mbappe-Rodrygo triumvirate, with Bellingham operating as an advanced midfielder.

That could work, but might lack the kind of defensive solidity that Ancelotti values. It was an interesting experiment against Atalanta - and ultimately it worked - but it remains to be seen how effective that is on bigger European nights. In those situations, Rodrygo might be left out, Bellingham plays as a No.10/false nine of sorts, with a workmanlike midfield keeping everything tidy.

And should it fail to pan out at first, Ancelotti will have few problems configuring a more reliable XI.

Mbappe, Vinicius and Bellingham will all do their thing. Chances are they quite comfortably combine for 70+ goals over the course of the season. That Madrid will be able to put the ball in the net isn't in doubt.

Last year, there was an argument to be made that Vinicius was the most important player for Los Blancos. They lacked creativity and bite without him - relying heavily on Bellingham to carry the load (which he did).

But with Mbappe there, his relentless brilliance won't be required on a weekly basis. Perhaps the most valuable player for Ancelotti, then, is Valverde. The Uruguayan has been a staple over the past few years, occupying a number of roles. Last year, he evolved into a deeper-lying midfielder. He will take on fresh importance this campaign - especially with Toni Kroos no longer around.

Such is the magnitude of Madrid as a club that it's hard for anyone to truly live in the shadows. And given the depth Ancelotti has at his disposal, it's hard to see anyone unknown breaking into the team.

Still, it could be a big year for teenager Arda Guler. The 'Turkish Messi' impressed in a handful of cameos at the end of last season, and was among the best players at Euro 2024. There's a packed midfield corps in front of him, but a few good showings could see the promising talent break into the team.

Carving out a role will be tough. There won't be much room at right wing, and a deeper midfield position might not be so easy to work his way into. Either way, Ancelotti has shown that his Blancos side is a real meritocracy. A few good performances could have him in the team on a regular basis.

Well, this is where the problems start. With a squad so good, Los Blancos will be obligated to win pretty much every competition they enter.

La Liga title feels like the bare minimum here, with a Copa del Rey tilt to boot - especially given Barcelona's dip in quality (although they will likely be better this year under Hansi Flick).

European success is the big one. Madrid will be all-but expected to defend their Champions League crown. Manchester City, as usual, will offer a real threat. Liverpool, Arsenal and Bayern Munich can't be counted out. But Los Blancos look the best-equipped team in the competition by some distance - especially with Mbappe in their ranks.

Player of the Season: Vinicius Jr. Don't overthink it, Vinicius has been the best player in the world for the last year - chances are he will do it again.

Biggest disappointment: Rodrygo. The Brazilian could drop out of the XI, and see his promising career stall as a result.

Best signing: Mbappe. Next question.

Top scorer: See above. Vinicius will grab his fair share, but Mbappe is a machine in front of goal.

European fate: Champions League winners. There isn't anyone with the know-how to stop them doing it again.

League position: First, but not by double digits. Flick's Barca will stick around for a while, but run out of gas in March.