Beyond off-field controversies, questions remain about how the talented attacker fits alongside stars like Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham. Desailly believes the collective system has simply failed to accommodate the attacking talent at the Santiago Bernabeu, insisting a top team can compensate for a superstar’s lack of defensive work. He argued: “But it’s not fully because of Mbappé. He’s not defending? Fine. What is your problem? You can afford one player – eventually one and a half or two – in a team who doesn’t get back into a defensive position. Yes, you can afford it. You are Real Madrid. You can adjust it, especially for a player who scores 40 goals a season.”
