Former Real Madrid Director Sends Ominous Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior Warning

Former Real Madrid sporting director Predrag Mijatović weighed in on Rodrygo and Vinícius Júnior’s decline in form since the arrival of Kylian Mbappé.

Last summer, Real Madrid completed their long-awaited signing of Mbappé, bringing one of the best players in the world to the Spanish capital on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain. The addition of the Frenchman promised even more silverware for the Spanish giants, who were coming off La Liga and Champions League triumphs.

Mbappé individually shined in his debut season in a white shirt, bagging 44 goals across all competitions and breaking record after record for Real Madrid. He even won the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Boot for his efforts.

Yet Los Blancos put together a poor campaign that ended without a major trophy, ultimately costing Carlo Ancelotti his job. The club's other superstars, namely Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo, came under fire for their lackluster production up top compared to Mbappé’s numbers, as well as their performances from seasons past.

Mijatović, who played for Real Madrid and then went on to serve as the club’s sporting director for three years, warned against the vocal criticism of Real Madrid’s star-studded frontline.

“If Vinícius, Mbappé or Rodrygo are not happy and do not feel the support of the club, they cannot perform. I don’t know if the fans are as in love with Vinícius as they were two or three years ago, or if he has as much respect for them as he did then,” Mijatović said to reporters.

Indeed, some fans have grown frustrated with Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo’s drop in production.
Vinícius Júnior bagged just one goal in six appearances at this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup and Rodrygo is in the middle of a 25-game goal drought.

Vinícius Júnior's performances, in particular, were a far cry from his Ballon d’Or-worthy form of the 2023–24 season. The winger often struggled to find the back of the net playing alongside Mbappé, who took months to adapt to his new role as a No. 9 for Los Blancos.

“I keep saying it, accumulating great players, with a lot of market value, is always counterproductive,”
Mijatović continued. “You have an asset that’s worth a lot, but you don’t get the most out of it. As the months go by, the player isn’t happy, and you don’t know if you will be able to sell him the following year.”

Rodrygo, a player that seemed an irreplaceable part of Real Madrid’s future, is now at the center of transfer speculation since Mbappé’s arrival. The 24-year-old has been linked with Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Manchester City in the wake of his declining minutes for Real Madrid.

Vinícius Júnior has also received interest from the Saudi Pro League amid his ongoing contract talks with the La Liga runners-up. Both Real Madrid and the millions of Madridistas will be looking at the Brazilian to rediscover his elite goalscoring form so Xabi Alonso’s new-look Real Madrid can return to championship-winning ways.