Carlo Ancelotti has dispelled fears that Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jnr will vie for the same place at Real Madrid next season.
Mbappe’s free transfer move from Paris Saint-Germain to the Santiago Bernabeu strengthens the European champions further, at least in theory.
However, with Mbappe known to favour coming in from the left – the same position Brazil international Vinicius Jnr has played in for several seasons – there is the possibility of a positional clash for Ancelotti to resolve.
In his usual unflappable manner, Ancelotti doesn’t believe it will be an issue.
🧢 @MrAncelotti
⏱️ #RMCity pic.twitter.com/43xTR1tZ6e— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) July 22, 2024
He told the Obi One podcast, hosted by former Chelsea midfielder Jon Obi Mikel, the Italian said: “Honestly, I haven’t thought about it. Fitting Mbappé in the team won’t be a problem. It’s important to remember what he said: He’ll adapt to the team. The key is that each player has to contribute talent and quality in service to the team.
“Sometimes you can play on the left, sometimes you can play in the middle.”
Madrid are fluid, insists Ancelotti
Madrid largely employ a fluid front three with Ancelotti insisting Vinicius Jnr was never stuck to the left-hand side.
“I see [Mbappé] him playing up front, and the attack is quite wide. The pitch is 68 meters wide, and we have to cover those 68 meters with the players in front,” he added.
“It could be Vinícius. Because if I ask you, where did Vinícius play last season, it’s difficult to say. He didn’t play like a [left] winger. The important key to an attacking play is the mobility of the players.”
France captain Mbappe is currently on holiday after his exertions at the European Championship in which he sustained a badly broken nose in Les Bleus’ opening game against Austria.
Didier Deschamps’ side were beaten in the semi-finals by eventual winners Spain with Mbappe contributing just one goal in the tournament – a penalty against Poland in the group stage.
