Winners and losers of Kylian Mbappe's move to Real Madrid

Cameron Smith

• 15 Feb 2024 16:50 GMT
• 4 min read

Kylian Mbappe's move to Real Madrid now seems inevitable as reports have emerged that he has decided to leave Paris Saint-Germain.

Mbappe is set to become a free agent when his contract expires at the end of June, and David Ornstein is reporting that he has informed PSG of his decision to part ways.

While there is no conformation that he will be playing for Real Madrid next season, with the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool also interested, it would be an enormous shock if he were to choose against the La Liga leaders.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through the winners and losers of Mbappe joining Los Blancos.

Winner - Florentino Perez

If Mbappe finally joins Real Madrid this summer, then Florentino Perez will be considered as a huge winner.

The Real Madrid president has wanted to sign the Frenchman for several years and his ideology of Galactico signings would be reborn with the addition of Mbappe.

Signing the PSG star would confirm Real Madrid’s place right at the top of world football for the next decade and likely ensure Perez’s position as president at the Santiago Bernabeu is under no threat.

Loser - Vinicius Junior

Vinicius Junior’s future at Real Madrid would come into serious question if Mbappe joins.

They are two of the world’s very best players, but they both operate best when cutting inside from the left flank, and it remains to be seen if Vinicius and Mbappe would be able to work in the same starting XI.

Mbappe would likely replace Rodrygo in Carlo Ancelotti’s 4-4-2 diamond system, but Vinicius’ impact may also diminish if Mbappe signs.

Winner - La Liga

The impact of Jude Bellingham this season has been huge for La Liga, with the England international bringing in thousands of new eyeballs to the division.

Mbappe would likely bring a similar level of interest if he leaves PSG for Real Madrid.

The France star is widely considered to be the current best player in the world and La Liga could re-establish themselves as the elite league in world football, just like in the 2010s, if Mbappe arrives.

Loser - PSG

Lionel Messi and Neymar both left PSG in 2023 and Mbappe’s potential departure this year would see them diminish as a force in the Champions League.

They are yet to realise their goal of lifting the most iconic trophy in football and their chances of finally winning it would lessen if Mbappe leaves.

Furthermore, Nasser Al-Khelaifi previously rejected a €200 million offer from Real Madrid for Mbappe and so losing him on a free transfer would be a devastating blow.

Winner - Kylian Mbappe

It’s an obvious answer, but Mbappe himself will benefit massively from joining Real Madrid.

His individual hopes of winning the Ballon d’Or would be aided hugely with a Champions League win and the Santiago Bernabeu is the best place to go in search of glory on the European stage.

Mbappe has previously stated that he is currently held back by the fact he plays in France and a move to Real Madrid would help his chances of securing multiple Ballon d’Or victories, while his trophy cabinet from a team perspective would likely grow exponentially too.

Loser - Ligue 1

Ligue 1 would lose their talismanic figure and most marketable player if Mbappe joins Real Madrid.

The Frenchman is crucial to the success of the division from a financial perspective as things stand and Ligue 1 could suffer a major step backwards if Mbappe leaves as their commercial revenue would likely decrease.

PSG would also be less likely to achieve European success without Mbappe and that could impact Ligue 1’s coefficient and see them no longer referred to as a ‘top five league’.