Shocked by their downturn in form, and with growing doubts all over the pitch – and indeed the bench – Real Madrid are in a delicate situation currently. The arrival of Kylian Mbappe has not been the explosion many expected, and the debate about whether both Vinicius Junior and Mbappe can play together is burning brightly.
The French forward has been playing more centrally since the start of the season, a role he is not keen on, with Vinicius parting from his preferred left side. Many have noted that this is the lesser of two evils when it comes to shifting them out of position, with Vinicius less effective in the middle or on the right too.
Fede Valverde is baffled by Carlo Ancelotti's comments after #RealMadrid's defeat to #ACMilan on Tuesday.
The Italian said that he was not 100%, but Valverde felt fine.👇(Cadena Cope) pic.twitter.com/cCXGbrvNNJ
— Football España (@footballespana_) November 7, 2024
On Wednesday it emerged that if it were to become a choice between the two, Real Madrid President Florentino Perez has no doubt about which he would choose. Cadena SER‘s Manu Carreno has now backed up the idea that their plans are focused on Mbappe and not Vinicius, saying it is clear that the Frenchman is centrepiece of their thinking. “We’ll see what happens with Vinicius, and if a decision needs to be taken,” noted Carreno ominously.
It is news that might not be well-received in the Real Madrid dressing room. Vinicius has been at the heart of their success over the last three years, and was arguably their best player last season. Meanwhile the early going for Mbappe has been less than fluid, and reportedly teammates are already becoming frustrated with him.
