The most important thing that Florentino, JAS and Ancelotti have agreed on is about… Mbappé | Relief

In the meeting held yesterday morning in Valdebebas by Florentino Pérez, José Ángel Sánchez and Carlo Ancelotti Innumerable proper names were discussed, as is logical at a summit for short- and medium-term planning in which the Italian coach was empowered. From the priority interest in Harry Kane if Benzema were to be seduced by the millions from Saudi Arabia, to the intention of going for a young pearl like Havertz, in his case whatever happens with a French striker. There was also time for Hazard, for the players who are leaving (Vallejo, Odriozola, Asensio…), those who are arriving or will arrive (Fran García, Bellingham, Brahim, Endrick…) those who will renew (Modric, Kroos… ) and those who must make an immediate decision (Lunin, Nacho, Ceballos…). But there is a footballer who continues to resonate loudly above all the others, due to his importance in the project and the forcefulness in defending his hiring: he is Kylian Mbappé.

This time it was not the main topic of conversation. it was more other flash in a reminder way. A conclusion. But transcendence is not measured in minutes or in sentences or interventions. The sentences, in fact, are usually as shocking as they are brief. And this is being the case again in the conversations that have been taking place in recent weeks among those who make all the decisions. The objective is clear: confirm that the desire of the president of Madrid is again to dress the star in white in the 2024 season and that all actions, technical and budgetary, must be directed so that the plan does not fail. The personal apologies of the PSG striker the day he decided to stay in Paris last summer and his behavior after him, It has made Florentino Pérez go from “this is not my Mbappé” to overflowing optimism to see him soon at the revamped Santiago Bernabéu.

Contacts with the footballer, even through third parties, have continued to leak over time and At the club there is more than just a feeling that Mbappé is not going to exercise the option he has to extend his contract until 2025. and that he is willing to change scenery and arrive as a free agent next summer. The footballer’s chances of winning the Champions League are fading away and, furthermore, now he is going to be left without Messi by his side and maybe even without Neymar. Madrid understands that this frustration at not accompanying his performance with big titles plays in his favor. That’s why, Haaland, on the other hand, was not present in the conversation at any time in the last confrontation between the board and the coach: His arrival is considered almost impossible due to the influence he has on Guardiola and, furthermore, they see him as less appealing than Mbappé’s challenge due to all the accumulated wear and tear.

The appointment between the Real Madrid staff took place with the possibility on the table that Benzema would leave the team. Even so, no one exposed their plans and arguments with their hands on their heads. Despite being a legend, a heavyweight in the locker room, the team’s top scorer and a captain. Kane’s option put everyone in agreement (Ancelotti had been unsuccessfully demanding reinforcements from above since October) and Havertz’s alternative, being a lower step for sports management, also gave and gives peace of mind if the arrival of Joselu is also closed.

However, the option for Benzema to continue against the odds (as the journalist Pablo Polo exclusively took for granted yesterday), would be better for the club than for the coaching staff. Ancelotti, with one more year on his contract, surely the last, rubs his hands with the possibility that a top striker like Kane can play under him. For Carletto Only now matters There is no more future than to make a competitive squad these days to take flight and think of 2024 as a season in which he will be retired or leading a different project (Brazil?).

But it would help the club much more to balance the strategy and the accounts to keep Karim, along with Joselu (for Mariano) and Havertz. Among other things because the German striker for Chelsea would do more of Asensio’s job, he is an option with a better future (23 years old), he would not mortgage the position of center forward reserved for Mbappé and, most important of all, He would release a million to undertake the transfer bonus (he would arrive free) and the salary that Kylian would demand to reach Madrid.

a dream attack

Florentino Pérez is determined to unite Vinicius, Rodrygo and Mbappé on the attack front, whom he considers the three best strikers of the moment and, more than anything, the trident with the most future on the world scene. And his wishes do not clash with the thoughts of the sports management or with the systems that a top-level team like Real Madrid usually uses. In 2024 -without Modric or Kroos-, Camavinga, Tchouameni, Valverde, Bellingham (and we will see if Ceballos) must carry the weight of the midfield. Ahead, Vinicius would be fixed on the left and Rodrygo could play on the right -with Mbappé in the center in a 4-3-3- or behind the striker -with Kylian up front and Havertz on the right.

Mbappé is, once again, a goal rather than a wish or a dream. In fact, from the same day that he renewed with PSG, to the disappointment of Real Madrid and in the midst of the general grief of the negotiators, in Valdebebas they took it as the first day on the road to achieve his signing in 2024. Yesterday, a year after that declaration of intent, the illusion and faith in being able to close this signing on the third attempt not only remained intact, but also increased. And with a strong tailwind.