The off-season is the portion of the football calendar that some supporters most look forward to since it only means one thing: transfer season! The top stars will reportedly be connected to the major clubs over the coming weeks and months, sparking intense speculation.
We all know that there are moves that work out well for everyone, but there are also those that leave at least one club or even the player wondering what may have happened if they had chosen differently during the negotiations.
For Paris Saint-Germain:
It has been repeatedly asserted by Nasser Al-Khelaifi that PSG would never permit the greatest player in the world to depart on a free transfer. As for the French champs, well, it’s occurred, so this can only be described as a financial and sports catastrophe. Sure, PSG will save a ton of money on salaries. Indeed, Mbappe’s actions had grown to be a serious issue. But losing him for nothing is a terrible reflection on the Park des Princes’ ruling class.
By showing the foolishness of chasing and rewarding “flash, bling-bling” superstars, Mbappe may have done PSG a favour, and there are already indications that the team’s Qatari owners are beginning to realize their mistakes. But their brand has already suffered enormous harm. PSG runs the risk of becoming irrelevant without their most valuable player. Remember that Mbappe was supposed to be PSG’s poster child, their local hero, and the “cornerstone” of their whole endeavour. Instead, he’s left the team on the brink of disintegration.
For Real Madrid:
Total excellence. And all without having to shell out a transfer fee, Florentino Perez has finally found his match. This has turned out better than anyone associated with the club could have imagined, of course, but Madrid is still paying a king’s ransom to acquire Mbappe, both in terms of salary and fee. The World Cup champion is still only 25, so his best years are still ahead of him, even though it took longer than they would have preferred. That makes it seem a lot like when Cristiano Ronaldo first arrived at Real Madrid in 2009—a player who was already of the highest calibre and was ready to advance to the highest level at the largest team in the world.
For Mbappe:
An actualized dream. Since he was a little child, Mbappe has desired this. This is certainly the time in his career when he needs it as well. Some in the French football community felt that Mbappe was becoming stale in Paris and that he needed a fresh challenge outside of his home city. He now has the greatest opportunity in football: demonstrating his excellence at Real Madrid. Naturally, anything less than winning the Champions League and winning the first Ballon d’Or would be considered a failure, but let’s be honest: Mbappe will be a huge success in Spain if he remains healthy, regardless of the position he plays. He is fantastic.
