How 3 teams linked with Mbappe could line up if they actually sign him
Everybody wants Kylian Mbappe. That's what happens when you're an electrifying 18-year-old attacker who proved, in just his first full season, that you can dominate matches with a wide array of skills.
In the wake of his 26-goal outburst for AS Monaco, Mbappe, who was a crucial part of the side that captured the Ligue 1 title and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League, has his pick of the litter.
Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, and just about every other club with any semblance of financial clout has been linked with a move for the hottest name in world football.
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We know the whole world wants to sign him. That's obvious. But what will those clubs do if they actually get him? This isn't your standard teenager who will be content with a place on the bench. Already a French international, Mbappe will garner a world-record transfer fee if he does indeed leave the Stade Louis II in the next two months.
Prospectively the most expensive player ever, Mbappe will get playing time. Someone else will need to make room, regardless of pedigree or standing at the club.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
With that in mind, we're offering ways that the three clubs most heavily linked with the teenager could line up if they were to hit the jackpot.
With due respect to Manchester United and Liverpool, it seems unlikely that Mbappe will be wearing either of those shades of red next season; Liverpool would need to find cash that might not be there after the big-ticket deal for Mohamed Salah, while United's stifling style isn't exactly conducive to Mbappe's explosive skill set.
That brings us back to Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Arsenal.
Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo, who isn't going anywhere, by the way, continues to morph into the most dominant No. 9 on the planet. His predatory instincts are devastating, and despite being a freak of an athlete who could likely keep playing his more traditional winger role for longer than your average footballer, his greatest chance at sustained excellence - and additional scoring milestones - is through the middle.
Crucial as Karim Benzema has been in helping Madrid establish its dynastic reign, the opportunity to sign Mbappe, put him in a wider role, and allow Ronaldo to permanently take up the central striker position is mouthwatering.
How could the best team in the world get even better? Like this:
Related - Mbappe: Real Madrid's been chasing me for years
Gareth Bale's continued injury issues saw him displaced in the squad by the sumptuous skills of Isco down the stretch last season, and should Zinedine Zidane decide that he prefers the grace and trickery of the Spaniard to the pace and power of the Welshman - or in the unlikely event that Bale is sold this summer - moving Mbappe up alongside Ronaldo works just as well.
Scary stuff.
Paris Saint-Germain
Flush with cash and never shy about flaunting it in the transfer market, Paris Saint-Germain has much to atone for next season. The capital club saw its Ligue 1 hegemony toppled, while the remarkable Champions League loss to Barcelona, while no doubt a brilliant comeback, was a horrendous failure for the French club.
The club's Qatari owners will want a swift response to help erase last season's missteps, and the signing of Mbappe, which would simultaneously weaken the club that stole the Ligue 1 crown, would help achieve exactly that.
Much like Madrid, PSG is loaded with potent attackers, meaning Unai Emery, whose job depends on a huge bounce back in 2017-18, would have plenty of options should Mbappe be one of the names on his sparkling team sheet.
Edinson Cavani is coming off a season in which he scored 35 league goals in 36 appearances. What would it have been with Mbappe in the mix?
Should Angel Di Maria leave the Parc des Princes - unlikely, but a possibility given how many clubs are after quality wingers, and the fee that could be procured for his services - Emery would have the option to shift things around by simply slotting in the sublime Julian Draxler.
Must be nice.
Arsenal
The ideal scenario for Arsenal supporters looks something like this:
If Alexis Sanchez stays in north London - and maybe inks a new deal, to boot - the Chilean and French dynamos could link up to form one of the most invigorating attacks around. Add in Mesut Ozil's inch-perfect passing, and it's the thing dreams are made of.
Related: Mbappe waiting for holidays to decide future amid Arsenal, Real Madrid links
Should the Chilean equivalent of the Energizer Bunny depart the club this summer, be it for (gulp) Manchester City or Bayern Munich, oft-maligned manager Arsene Wenger still has options.
His shift to a 3-5-2 late in the season was far from perfect - there's an argument to be made that the club's personnel is ill-suited to play that system despite a string of wins to close out the year - but the lanky French gaffer could opt to make Mbappe the focal point of his attack in this lineup:
Relying on Olivier Giroud to start isn't ideal; he's a legitimately excellent substitute, but now on the wrong side of 30, he's not the calibre of striker to lead the line for a club with title-winning aspirations.
That said, if losing Alexis and being forced to start Giroud is the trade-off to bring Mbappe aboard, Arsenal fans would likely bite off your hand when presented with that offer.