So in the end it was not Kylian Mbappe’s dream to play for Real Madrid. They will not enjoy his prime years at the Santiago Bernabeu. There will be no grand unveiling this summer and, even worse, there is not a single euro of compensation coming their way because nothing was signed.
It’s a decision that illustrates perfectly how much football has changed since the early 2000’s when Real Madrid bought a superstar a season. Not just in the way that Manchester City (Erling Haaland) and Paris Saint Germain (Mbappe) have replaced Real Madrid as the go-to club for every prospective Balon d’Or winner.