Kylian Mbappe vs Erling Haaland: Who is a Better Option for Real Madrid?

A transfer window nowadays is incomplete without the rumors of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland’s potential move to Real Madrid, and this year is also no different. These two most sought-after stars in the market get linked with the Spanish giants now and then, and it demands the attention of all the big bulls in club football. Since the transfer of the 25-year-old French superstar to Paris Saint-Germain back in 2017 from Monaco, clubs from the top five leagues in the world like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and Manchester United turned their focus to luring the player with massive deals and future promise but miserably failed on several occasions.

Meanwhile, the top pundits in the football market started to believe that the Frenchman would eventually land in Real Madrid as the player is a staunch admirer of the Spanish outfit. Despite his love and admiration for the Los Blancos, Mbappe has led them into humiliation and shame in the past few years in terms of a move to the Spanish capital.

This transfer market timeline also witnessed the emergence of Erling Haaland, whose presence on the radar of the Real Madrid scouts doubled his significance in the market in 2020. The Norwegian, who is often regarded as the “new goal machine” in the football world, is termed as the greatest rival of Kylian Mbappe as many believe that they have enough firepower in their cannons to replicate the Cristiano Ronaldo-Lionel Messi rivalry. Mbappe against Haaland is the new trending debate young football fans love to have. It is believed, that both of them having been linked with Real Madrid have the potential and talent to achieve great success in Spain.

When the rumors of a pre-signed contract link Los Blancos with the French attacker, reports coming out from the UK suggest that the Manchester City talisman also desires a move to Santiago Bernabeu as soon as possible. With both the superstars, post Ronaldo-Messi era, connected with Real, the most important question standing tall before the Royal Whites’ management and fans is – who fits better at the current Real Madrid setup between Haaland and Mbappe?

Speaking of the comparison between the two players and their chances of thriving at Real Madrid with the current squad, we bring the answer to the above question to you.

Transfer Links Between Real Madrid & Kylian Mbappe

The relationship between Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappe is like a one-sided love story where the Spanish outfit keeps showering their love for the Frenchman despite him being related to another partner in the form of PSG. Real Madrid started their Mbappe hunt back in 2017 when the player was on song at AS Monaco. The 14-time UCL champions reportedly agreed to a deal for €160m, but Paris Saint-Germain signed the player for €180m on a five-year contract. Thus, a story of love and war started between Real Madrid, Mbappe, and PSG.

After four years of this move, an “unhappy” Mbappe who had reportedly engaged in “verbal fights” with Neymar Jr and Lionel Messi, wanted to move his way out of the French capital and Real Madrid started monitoring the situation closely. When reports claimed that Mbappe had finally completed his dream move to Real Madrid, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi convinced the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner to extend his contract till 2024, despite Real reportedly tabled €160m offer. Finally, earlier this year Mbappe informed the French club president about his intentions to leave Paris after his contract runs out in 2024 summer. If reports are to be believed, Real Madrid have signed a five-year deal with the attacker for €15m per year with a signing bonus of €150 million.

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Transfer Rumors Between Haaland & Real Madrid

Ever since Haaland recorded 86 goals to his name in 89 matches for Borussia Dortmund, he caught the attention of the most successful club in Europe, Real Madrid. And the Spanish club started exploring possibilities of signing the player in 2022. But Manchester City promised the Norway international to offer a better future in England, and the then 21-year-old signed a five-year deal with the Cityzens worth €51m. The Los Blancos initially lost the transfer battle but never stopped following the player’s position and development at Etihad.

When Mbappe and Real Madrid links have resurfaced again, a report from The Athletic claims that Haaland wants a move to the Spanish capital, if not this summer then the next. As Real Madrid doesn’t have a prolific striker following the departure of Karim Benzema, this transfer rumor can’t be ruled out easily. The City has not revealed the details of the release of Haaland, but it is believed the amount is something close to €150m which can be negotiated later. The City forward is believed to be the “plan B” for Real Madrid if they somehow fail to secure Mbappe’s deal this summer.

Who Fits Better at Real Madrid Between Mbappe & Haaland

Contrary to popular belief, Real Madrid has thrived without the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland in their ranks. The emergence of Vinicius Junior as a dynamic left winger and forward has been a revelation under the stewardship of Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti. Real Madrid boasts a formidable squad, bolstered by their new recruit Jude Bellingham who has been the top scorer for his side, having scored 20 goals in all competitions.

Now, choosing between Mbappe and Haaland for a spot in Real Madrid’s playing XI is a difficult decision to make and this tricky situation can only be faced by the Spanish outfit.
Now, to understand who could fit better at Real Madrid, we compare the two stars of football here.

Tactical Fit

Ancelotti’s recent 4-3-2-1 formation is believed to be the perfect fit for Kylian Mbappe to start and continue his life at Real Madrid on a high note. This system has already unlocked the brilliance of Jude Bellingham and can propel Mbappe to unleash his goal-scoring prowess. With Vinicius and Rodrygo going up front, the French national can be left with a big space behind for acceleration.

And everyone knows how dangerous an accelerated Mbappe can be in the field. Real Madrid is famous for their counter-attacking display and Mbappe, with his electrifying pace, is the perfect weapon for Ancelotti to use in initiating his counter-attacking tactics against the opponents.

Finishing Ability

It’s almost impossible to compare players like Mbappe and Haaland who have already scored more than 500 goals. The PSG star has scored 21 goals in Ligue 1, while the main attacker of Pep Guardiola has found the back of the net 27 times in all competitions this season so far. However, the Norwegian forward holds a slight advantage in this category as he was on song last season, having netted 53 goals for Man City last season.

Price & Availability

Mbappe will be a free agent in the forthcoming month of June. In this case, Real Madrid doesn’t need to give a penny to their long-standing transfer market rivals PSG. However, the French forward would cost nearly €200m in total including a signing bonus for the Spanish club. Due to the availability of the player, this deal looks promising and Madrid president Florentino Perez only needs to convince the player’s entourage for the deal.

On the other hand, Haaland is enjoying a successful run and immense popularity in England. He has just played one season at Etihad. It’s needless to say, Pep Guardiola would not let the player leave so easily, given his significant importance in the attack. In addition to that situation, Haaland has a reported release clause of around €200m, making him an expensive signing.

Who Should Real Madrid Sign?

Taking everything into account, it can be argued that Real Madrid should go all out to secure the signing of Kylian Mbappe this summer as the player will become a free agent in a few weeks. While Haaland is undoubtedly a superstar, it seems that Mbappe’s footballing journey lacks fulfillment without wearing the Los Blancos jersey. The PSG star is an admirer of the Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo, who expressed his desire to wear the royal white shirt within a close circle.

There’s no better opportunity for the French attacker to follow in his idol’s footsteps than an immediate move to Real Madrid. Mbappe is widely considered as the quintessential Real Madrid player who has yet to wear the club’s jersey. He could become the next ‘galactico’ for Los Blancos if he comes to Madrid. The best-case scenario would be both Mbappe and Haaland in Madrid.

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