"He’s only going to get better" - Real Madrid star insists criticism of teammate Kylian Mbappe is 'over the top'
Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has spoken about his teammate Kylian Mbappe, who has been regularly criticized recently. This comes ahead of Los Blancos' Champions League match against English giants Liverpool at Anfield on November 27.
Mbappe has not had an easy start to life at the Santiago Bernabeu. The former Paris Saint-Germain forward has scored seven goals in 12 La Liga appearances this season. However, a deeper look at the numbers shows some concern: three of those goals have come from the penalty spot. This means he has scored just four league goals from open play in those 12 games.
His sub-par performances also saw him omitted from the France national team during the November international break. All this has raised questions about how well Kylian Mbappe has adapted to life in Spain.
However, despite the criticism, Jude Bellingham has spoken in support of his teammate. In his interview with reporters, the Englishman said (via Madrid Xtra on X):
“I think the criticism for Kylian is over the top. Also, I see him in training every day and he’s only going to get better.”
He also spoke about how he has adapted to playing alongside Kylian Mbappe, who only just joined Real Madrid this summer (via Managing Madrid):
“It’s been like any adaptation. Players leave, others arrive. The way of playing changes, another approach, but I’ve shown that I can adapt. I don’t worry about the position, I just want to play. I am not affected by anything. We always set up a team to win any match... We’ve had injuries and that’s why we’ve had to adapt.”
Jude Bellingham will hope that the Real Madrid squad can take on Liverpool at Anfield and return to Madrid with all three points.
Kylian Mbappe told he should have joined Manchester United instead of Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappe has been told that he should have joined a Premier League club like Manchester United, rather than opt for a switch to Real Madrid. The 25-year-old ended a long, drawn-out transfer saga after he announced his move from PSG to the Bernabeu. However, things have not started smoothly.
This has led to conversations around his struggle, with former L'Equipe CEO Cyril Linette telling the forward he should have picked the Premier League. Linette said that Mbappe would struggle to play on his favored left flank due to Vinicius Jr's form in Madrid, and a move elsewhere might have worked. He said (via GOAL):
"He could have gone to England... tried to get Manchester United going again, for example. There, he could have played in his position and could have written a great story. I don’t see what exceptional things he can achieve at Real, who have already done everything without him."
With Vinicius Jr currently injured, Kylian Mbappe could potentially play against Liverpool from his favored left flank. Time will tell what manager Carlo Ancelotti decides.