Sporting journalist Romain Molina, who works with BBC and The New York Times, has reported that La Liga club Real Madrid regrets bringing in French forward Kylian Mbappe to Madrid.
The 25-year-old striker, who previously played for Paris Saint-Germain, signed a contract with the club in July 2024 that extends until the end of June 2029. In the 2024/2025 season, Mbappe has participated in eight matches in La Liga (scoring five goals and providing one assist) and played in two Champions League games (scoring one goal). His market value is reported to be around 180 million euros according to Transfermarkt.
Molina was quoted in the Daily Mail, referencing Colinterview:
They regret bringing him in. I guarantee that. I have spoken about it on off (the record). It hasn’t been at all what they were expecting. The club are gutted, firstly with his level (of performances), which is not at all at the expected levels, in the dressing room it isn’t great, that isn’t necessarily Mbappe’s fault though. I think Real have made a big mistake.
On October 12, Footmercato reported that Mbappé informed the coaching staff of the French national team of his desire to participate only in important matches to focus on his games for Real Madrid and compete for the Ballon d'Or in 2025. On the same day, in an interview with RMC Sport, former French midfielder Jérôme Rothen urged national team head coach Didier Deschamps to strip Mbappé of the captaincy.
