Real Madrid News
Real Madrid not worried about €100 million star’s recent dip in form – report
Real Madrid went hard after the signing of Aurelien Tchouameni last summer and defeated the likes of Liverpool and PSG to secure his services in a deal worth €100 million, including add-ons.
And the way Tchouameni started off at the Santiago Bernabeu, slotting into the giant shoes left vacant by Casemiro was exceptional.
The 23-year-old Frenchman quickly became a player that manager Carlo Ancelotti could bank on, putting reliable displays one after the other.
However, things have gone downhill for Tchouameni after the World Cup break. The defensive midfielder endured a few fitness issues soon after the mid-season break and has since lost his spot in the starting XI.
Instead, Ancelotti has preferred the likes of Eduardo Camavinga and Toni Kroos ahead of Tchouameni in the holding midfield position.
But, according to AS, Real Madrid are not worried about the recent dip in form showcased by Tchouameni.
The feeling within the club is that the 23-year-old midfielder is yet to fully adapt to his new surroundings, team, tactics and philosophy.
It is not exactly strange for a player to go through a difficult debut season at Real Madrid. Luka Modric and Eder Militao both endured hard debut campaigns before going on to become mainstays in the side. Camavinga himself had a tough initiation and has only become a regular in 2023.
Real Madrid invested in Tchouameni owing to his defensive prowess but they also value the midfielder’s quality and the power he possesses, which they believe can aid them in their attacking play as well.
Recent reports suggested that Liverpool, after missing out on Tchouameni last summer, were set to rekindle their interest in him. But Real Madrid have no intentions to listen to any offers for the 23-year-old French international and are not concerned about his dip in form.
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.
