Should Kylian Mbappé be replaced by Erling Haaland? Former Argentine manager asks Real Madrid to face reality and take action immediately
French superstar Kylian Mbappé is now considered the main reason for Real Madrid’s downfall – both on and off the pitch.
It didn’t work with Lionel Messi. It didn’t work out with Neymar. It didn’t work out with Ousmane Dembélé. Who will he play with?
Read: Real Madrid have chosen the “face” of the future and it’s Kylian Mbappé
This season has been nothing but chaos for Real Madrid. Los Blancos welcomed club legend Xabi Alonso back as one of the most anticipated managerial hires in the world – only to sack him mid-season. Interim manager Álvaro Arbeloa then left the Copa del Rey, the Champions League and handed over the La Liga title to FC Barcelona.
In the midst of all this, an unbearable tension has been simmering in Real Madrid’s dressing room. These tensions finally boiled over in May, when players got into fights and the team’s chemistry was completely destroyed. Many fans point to Kylian Mbappé, who still hasn’t won a single major trophy with the club – a club that’s used to just that – since his arrival in 2024.
The criticism of Mbappé has also included flashbacks to his time at PSG. Since leaving the club, the French have won the Champions League for the first time in their history and reached the final again this year. There is mounting evidence suggesting that Mbappé may be the problem – both on and off the pitch.
Kylian Mbappé hasn’t made it work with players like Lionel Messi, Neymar and Vinícius
On the pitch, Mbappé simply hasn’t clashed with some of the sport’s biggest stars. El Chiringué’s Jorge D’Alessandro lashed out at Mbappé in the latest episode of the show, wondering out loud who Mbappé really needs alongside him to succeed – given that he has played with some of the best players of recent times, yes, of all time.
Read: Trying to tempt Bayern Munich with €150 million
– Who are the players who have to play next to Mbappé? I doubt it’s Vinícius. It didn’t work with Lionel Messi. It didn’t work out with Neymar. It didn’t work out with Ousmane Dembélé. Who will he play with? What does he need? D’Alessandro asks.
Can Erling Haaland be the perfect striker for Real Madrid?
D’Alessandro takes it a step further and suggests that Real Madrid should sell Mbappé if there is a willing buyer. If that happens, he mentions Erling Haaland as an ideal replacement.
“If I had someone who wanted to buy Mbappé, I could buy Haaland. But no one wants to buy Mbappé,” he says and continues:
“I would sell him and buy what I need: A centre-back with guarantees and a striker – a typical number 9 who is not Mbappé. Someone who gives me what PSG gets, what Bayern Munich gets – the clubs that dominate Europe.
D’Alessandro’s words hit hard, but there are many Real Madrid fans who feel the same way – especially after how this season unfolded.
Erling Haaland’s incredible journey so far
Erling Haaland’s road to the top of world football is nothing short of fairytale. He started his career in his hometown of Brøndby with Bryne FK, before making the move to Molde in 2017. It was there that he really showed his enormous measured Talent – and when Red Bull Salzburg signed him in 2019, he exploded on the European stage. With nine goals in six Champions League games, he set records and caught the attention of all the big clubs.
In January 2020, Haaland chose to sign for Borussia Dortmund rather than Manchester United. In Germany, the goal celebration continued: 86 goals in 89 games, an unrivalled average that made him the world’s hottest striker. In the summer of 2022, the battle for his signature was on again, and this time he ended up at Manchester City.
Under Pep Guardiola, Haaland has revolutionized the Premier League. In his first season, he smashed all scoring records with 52 goals in 53 appearances across all competitions – including a new record 36 league goals. He won the Treble with City, and was the top scorer in both the Premier League and the Champions League. In the 2023/24 season, he added another 38 goals in 40 games, cementing his reputation as the world’s most feared striker.
With his enormous physique, lightning-fast speed, ice-cold finishes and an almost inhuman goalscoring flair, Haaland has become the complete number 9. A striker who not only scores goals, but also dominates defenders, creates space for his teammates and wins games on his own. For many, he is the perfect successor to legends such as Ronaldo Nazário and Zlatan Ibrahimović.
Should Real Madrid decide to replace Mbappé, there is hardly a better or more natural choice than Erling Haaland – the man who has already conquered Europe, one city at a time.
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