Real Madrid have to choose between Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane. The obvious choice falls to the Frenchman.
Two weeks ago, Real Madrid fans were still trying to explain and talk themselves into the signing of Joselu (Espanyol Barcelona). And that wasn’t all that difficult. The Stuttgart native has scored in double digits in each of his previous four seasons. Having played in the Bundesliga (for Hoffenheim, Hannover and Frankfurt), the Premier League and LaLiga, he is an experienced player who can guarantee goals.
And then there was the other side of reality. Joselu is 33 years old and is constantly offside. His best finish in LaLiga as a regular was 13th. He has never scored more than 16 goals in a season. As a replacement for outgoing Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, things are looking a bit grim.
But that soon changed. First, it was reported that Real Madrid would be willing to shell out big bucks for Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane. The England striker is likely to be sold this summer as he seeks a move. According to The Athletic, Los Blancos would pay the asking price for Kane – over €100m.
But then the Book of Destiny kicked off the fourth chapter in the Mbappé saga. The two parties have been flirting remotely for years. This time around, it seems like a move might finally happen.
But there is a catch. According to French sports daily L’Équipe, PSG want €200m for their striker. But can Real just keep shopping after the €103m deal for Jude Bellingham? It’s possible Los Blancos will have to sell some of their current players to raise money for a player they’ve been coveting for years.
SPOX and GOAL analyzed the pros and cons for Mbappé on the one hand and Kane on the other.
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Real Madrid: Das Argument pro Harry Kane
Of course, the interest in Kane is understandable. In some respects, the England captain could also be a better choice. If Los Blancos are looking for a direct successor to Benzema who resembles him then Kane is the one who would be the best fit.
Kane started out as a playmaker in his youth, turned striker late and has never lost his typical 10s genes. The Englishman is quite a good passer, although not as agile as Benzema.
So this is a versatile striker who scores a lot, provides a lot of assists and can work with fast wingers. There are clear parallels between the Kane and Heung-Min Son duo and the fast-paced interaction of Benzema and Vinicius Jr.
And then, of course, there is the final strength. Kane is on course to break the Premier League’s goalscoring record. At 29 years and 213 goals, he could break Alan Shearer’s record in two years.
Benzema has scored 0.67 goals per 90 minutes for Real since 2009. Kane averaged 0.72 goals for Tottenham. If Los Blancos are looking for a new Benzema who might be even better in terms of goals, then it’s Kane.
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The argument against Kane
But you shouldn’t look at it that one-dimensionally.
A first problem is Kane’s ankles. The England striker has been plagued by various ligament problems for years and seems to pick up a new injury every season. But the 29-year-old is far too important for Spurs to just sit on the bench. So he tends to gloss over the complaints and just get on with it – unlike a certain Neymar at PSG who prefers to fly to Brazil or visit the nearest poker tournament.
His age may also be a small cause for concern. At 29, Kane isn’t exactly a grandpa, but his numerous foot injuries before his 30th birthday bode ill. Footballers, including strikers, tend to age quite well these days – Benzema won the Ballon d’Or at 34. Real would still take a certain risk, especially with the transfer.
And then there are the cautionary tales of English players abroad. The last England striker to play for the Spanish giants was Michael Owen in 2004.
The former Liverpool man may have been unlucky to arrive at the Santiago Bernabeu at the wrong time. Owen struggled with various injury problems for a year and competed with Raul and Ronaldo for minutes. He did score 26 goals in 45 games, but when Newcastle United offered him a regular spot in the run-up to the 2006 World Cup, the former Ballon d’Or winner jumped at the chance to return to England.
Kane is a more complete player than Owen and fits the current squad much better than his compatriot did back then. But the Spanish game is different from the English one.
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Real Madrid: Kylian Mbappé, the footballer
So to Mbappé. He’s just a better footballer. And more versatile.
The 24-year-old has won the Ligue 1 Golden Boot five times in a row, won the 2018 World Cup as a regular and almost defended the title in 2022. He is now captain of the Équipe tricolore and already the all-time top scorer at PSG – although the club was only founded in 1970.
And then there is the spectacle it offers. Mbappé dances and fakes. He dodges and shoots unexpectedly.
Another reason for the Frenchman: Kane is rather one-sided. If you block it and stand it up high, it gets a little harder. Mbappé, on the other hand, is probably the best and one of the fastest players in the world against high-level teams. And even if the opponents choose a different tactic, he finds ways to score.
So far in Paris he has fulfilled all his wishes: salary, fame, goals. Only the Champions League title is missing. If he had won it against FC Bayern in 2020 (0-1), he might already be at Real.
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Kylian Mbappé, right Madridista
And then there’s the gut feeling.
Real have been clever in the transfer market in recent years. The remodeling of the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu has tightened the Madrilenians’ wallets and kept them away from big signings. They haven’t digged deep into their pockets in a transfer window since 2019. In 2022 it was €80m (only for Aurelien Tchouameni), in 2021 just €31m (only for Eduardo Camavinga) and in 2020 they didn’t have a penny in transfer spend.
But that all changed in the first two weeks of the 2023 summer transfer window – the first since 2019 and Eden Hazard for €115m serving as a cautionary tale. Jude Bellingham has already arrived and club president Florentino Pérez has promised more signings are on the way.
And why not evoke the Galactico era for a player as good as Mbappé? The Frenchman is a childhood Real Madrid fan who adores Cristiano Ronaldo. He has made no secret that he would like to play for the club – sooner or later. He also speaks excellent Spanish.
The Frenchman wanted to continue playing for his hometown of Paris. But Mbappé and Madrid are made for each other, so to speak. So much for the gut feeling.
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Kylian Mbappe, the future
Mbappé is not 21 as felt, but 24 years old. Yes, the years pass faster and more uneventfully in Paris than in Madrid. Halfway through next season, the Frenchman will be 25 – still one of the best in the world for ages but still hungry for the title Real Madrid love.
Los Blancos are in the process of building a scary young squad. Players under the age of 23 include Bellingham, Camavinga, Vinicius Jr., Tchouameni and Rodrygo. Federico Valverde is also only 24.
There is still one spot left between the two Brazilians. Then the midfield and the storm would be secured for the next almost ten years. Real only has to look around slowly in defense. Keeper Thibaut Courtois can still play for a long time at 31.
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Real Madrid: Kylian Mbappé, the answer
In summary, Kane is the most complete striker in the Premier League and is considered one of the top five attackers in the world. Also, you get the feeling that he could be even better if he played in a top team. Tottenham would ask big money (over €100m) but Kane would surely make Los Blancos favorites in LaLiga right away and bring them back into the Champions League talks.
There is also a small problem in the Mbappé cause: With Vinicius, the royals already have a real world-class left winger. And the PSG striker has made it clear that he doesn’t like playing as a centre-forward too much. Vinicius and Mbappé could feel the urge to run into the same rooms.
Nevertheless, Mbappé has the advantage that he has time. Coach Carlo Ancelotti will make several changes in this team and they will probably bear fruit again. At Real, the Frenchman finally gets a top chance at the biggest title in European club football – with the team and as an individual player.
2023-07-02 15:54:22
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