Real Madrid News
Mbappe has no secret agreement with Real Madrid despite PSG doubts – report
The Kylian Mbappe saga is set to drag on for another year at least. The French phenom is set to begin the new season with Paris-Saint Germain, but the picture was not so clear even a few weeks ago.
At one point this summer, Mbappe’s departure from Paris appeared to be written in stone. He did not respond to any of the French club’s deadlines, and his silence stemmed into multiple theories in the PSG offices.
Several members of the administration believed that Mbappe had reached a secret agreement with Los Blancos over a free transfer in 2024.
According to reports from Le Parisien, there is no such secret agreement between the player and Real Madrid despite PSG’s suspicions.
Will Mbappe renew with PSG?
Mbappe’s sudden reinstatement into the PSG first team earlier this month opened rumours of his renewal. After all, the Ligue 1 champions always maintained that he would not play a minute for the team unless he agreed to renew.
However, that does not appear to be the case. The World Cup winner agreed to forego some of the bonuses he was set to receive during the year to enable his return to Luis Enrique plans and a renewal is currently not in the picture.
PSG stand to suffer a lower economic loss in this scheme and appear willing to let Mbappe leave on a free transfer next summer.
However, Nasser Al-Khelaifi hopes to convince the youngster of the project in Paris and secure a renewal during the 2023-24 season.
The report from Le Parisien adds that such a possibility is not entirely ruled out as Mbappe is aware that his reputation could be damaged if he leaves Paris for free. In such a case, however, Real Madrid will no longer target Mbappe next summer.
Carlo Ancelotti’s squad is closed
With the Mbappe saga boiling down to nothing concrete, Real Madrid have closed their transfer activity on the market front.
There will likely be no more departures from the Spanish capital, barring Alvaro Odriozola, nor any new signings.
Despite the recent injury to Eder Militao, Real Madrid are unlikely to dip their toes into the market for a reinforcement.
Jude Bellingham’s impact at Real Madrid this season is simply undeniable. However, what is even more fascinating is that if the Los Blancos had not signed him this summer, the team from the Spanish capital would have accumulated eight fewer points this season, reports AS.
The former Birmingham City and Borussia Dortmund midfielder has been in the thick of things ever since the first game of the season, which was a 2-0 win over Athletic Club away from home.
Since his opening day heroics, the England international has found the net six times in as many appearances across all competitions.
Too many draws without Bellingham
The 20-year-old midfielder has scored late winners in as many as three games for Madrid this season. In fact, among the matches Madrid have played this season, it was the opening game, against Athletic Club, that his goal was not decisive.
In that game, Rodrygo initiated the scoring, while the English international sealed the victory. It was a 0-2 triumph, which would still have been a win even without his contribution.
However, his impact was undeniable in the other encounters, such as the matches against Almeria (1-3, where he netted a brace and assisted Vinicius Jr’s goal), Celta (0-1), Getafe (1-0), and Union (1-0).
Where would Madrid be without him?
Once you do the math, that’s five goals scored in four games which transformed four draws into victories.
If it weren’t for Bellingham’s goals, Madrid’s League points would be six fewer, and their Champions League tally would be reduced by two, totaling eight points across all competitions. Although these are speculative scenarios, their credibility solidifies when examining the statistics.
As a result, Real Madrid have started with a flawless record of 18 points out of a possible 18 across all competitions.
We don’t really need to solidify the importance of last-minute goals in football, but if there was an award for it, Bellingham would be a worthy winner, to say the least.
