Real Madrid News
Real Madrid ‘like’ Juventus star as a possible option to reinforce key position
It has been a difficult season for Juventus, who are staring at the possibility of missing out on the Champions League next season. Thanks to a 15-point deduction earlier in the campaign, the club are dawdling in mid-table places and look certain to miss out on the top four.
Missing out on UCL action could be devastating for Juventus and may even lead to the departure of one of the star players in the form of Dusan Vlahovic.
According to AS, Real Madrid are aware of this situation and are sensing a market opportunity to sign the Serbian international ahead of the new season.
It is no secret that the Spanish giants are in the market for a new striker next season. Although star player Karim Benzema is likely to renew his contract, the forward has struggled with fitness woes this season.
It has accentuated the need for a new number nine. Real Madrid have invested heavily in Brazilian whizkid Endrick, but he will not be eligible to join the club until 2024.
Therefore, the club are looking for a new option, with Vlahovic emerging as one of the desired targets.
Formerly of Fiorentina, Vlahovic has netted 20 goals in less than 50 competitive appearances for Juve. He is known for his physical and aerial prowess, but what makes him such an appealing target for Real Madrid is his ability to sniff goalscoring opportunities.
Vlahovic himself might want to jump ship and join Real Madrid, especially with the opportunity to become the club’s main number nine looming large.
But with Real Madrid also planning on investing heavily on Jude Bellingham to strengthen their midfield, it remains to be seen if they would be willing to splash the cash on Vlahovic’s signing as well.
Real Madrid News
Kylian Mbappe fires back at critics over his Real Madrid role: ‘A player who scores goals will never be the problem’
Kylian Mbappe has started the new season for Real Madrid in great form, scoring five goals in five games so far.
The Frenchman has continued from where he left off last season, with seemingly no drop in his scoring rate, and he could have had one more had he not missed his penalty against Real Betis.
The 27-year-old superstar has pushed back against criticism of his contribution to Real Madrid, insisting that his goalscoring should not be treated as a problem.
Mbappe’s logic is that the fundamental objective of football is to outscore the opposition and that, therefore, goalscoring should never be seen as an issue.
As quoted by Mundo Deportivo, Mbappe addressed the issue in an interview with L’Equipe, where he spoke openly about criticism of his defensive work and the constant scrutiny associated with him.
Mbappe responds to criticism
The Madrid forward believes people have become so accustomed to his attacking production that attention naturally shifts towards what he does not provide.
“Is it normal that people forget my goals and focus on the defensive work? No, but that is the life of someone who has been close to excellence for 10 years. I am not new to this. Everyone knows what I can do,” Mbappe said.
“It is human to look at what someone does not do. When someone has been doing something for 10 years, we stop looking at it because we know he can do it, so we look at what he is not doing. I do not take it personally.”
Mbappe’s standards are so high that scoring regularly can almost be taken for granted. However, one has to remember how remarkable that consistency is.
‘A player who scores goals will never be a problem’
Mbappe was even firmer when discussing suggestions that his goals may not necessarily translate into collective success.
“It makes no sense. If I do not score goals, they are going to ask me why I am not scoring,” he said.
“As a footballer, I have learned that there are millions of coaches in every match you play, and not all of those coaches are happy. Everyone has an opinion, but in football the objective is to score more goals than the opponent.”
Then came his clearest message.
“A player who scores goals will never be the problem of a team, because no team has ever won titles without scoring goals.”
Madrid need balance, not less of Mbappe
Mbappe’s argument is difficult to dismiss.
Even if they say “attack wins you games, defence wins you tournaments”, you cannot win games unless you score goals, and you cannot win tournaments unless you win games.
Madrid can demand more collective work from every player, especially under Jose Mourinho, without pretending elite goalscoring is somehow secondary.
The real challenge is finding the right balance.
Madrid need Mbappe to remain devastating in front of goal while fitting into the team’s pressing and defensive structure. Those demands are not one or the other.
If anything, Mourinho’s task is to build a system that protects Mbappe’s greatest strength while still making Madrid harder to play against.
Mbappe’s goals are not, and never will be, the problem. The onus is on the manager to bring those strengths out in a system that also preserves the defensive structure.
