Having once been the primary transfer target coveted by Real Madrid, the French superstar may never get the opportunity to don the famous white shirt. His decisions over the last year seem to leave the Spanish giants utterly clear, and they are unwilling to offer him any second chances.
As one French striker was receiving the praise he richly deserved, another was being heckled and booed by fans at the 2022 Ballon d’Or awards ceremony. Karim Benzema has enjoyed a magnificent year in football, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest forwards ever to grace the beautiful game.
Despite being well into what many would assume to be the twilight of his career, 34-year-old Benzema produced a spellbinding 2021-22 campaign at Real Madrid, registering 44 goals during 46 appearances in all competitions. This was pivotal towards his club dominating Spain’s LaLiga, clinching the title with a 13-point margin ahead of Barcelona, along with winning the Supercopa de España.
However, the biggest prize and constant objective sought by Real Madrid was always the UEFA Champions League, which they duly won after a thrilling continental campaign in which Benzema was the outstanding player. His goals came at some of the most crucial moments in games, often deep into stoppage time and utterly decisive towards the progress of his team.
Kylian Mbappe has blown his chances of moving to Real Madrid
🏆👍 @Benzema#ballondor pic.twitter.com/yeyeEjzApn
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) October 17, 2022
Winning the Ballon d’Or award was thoroughly deserved recognition for Benzema, who continues to be the main man at Real Madrid, although everyone was expecting him to be joined by Kylian Mbappe last summer. In the end, the younger Frenchman decided to stay put at Paris Saint-Germain, coaxed by a whopping new contract and even words of encouragement from French president, Emmanuel Macron.
Nevertheless, the relationship between PSG and Mbappe appears to have become strained of late, according to famed transfer gossip expert Fabrizio Romano. Reports had claimed the 23-year-old has become so unhappy, he is trying to engineer a move away from the club in the January transfer window, although such rumours have been vehemently denied by the player himself.
However, fans of PSG are far from impressed by what they perceive to be a lack of respect, as transfer gossip and rumours once again rise to the fore surrounding one of their most prized assets. As if all the previous talk of switching to Real Madrid wasn’t enough, which many thought had been definitively squashed just a few months ago, now everyone seems to be completely tired of the whole saga.
This couldn’t have been clearer than at the Ballon d’Or awards ceremony, traditionally hosted as always by France Football and in Mbappe’s home city of Paris, where the crowd let him know their opinion on recent events. Observing the event, Spanish football expert Colin Millar at the Mirror highlighted the negative reception for Mbappe, who was roundly booed by fans upon his arrival.
Hearing some boos as Mbappé arrives at #BallonDor ceremony. His own city, mehn pic.twitter.com/1X1X3efv1B
— Luis Miguel Echegaray (@lmechegaray) October 17, 2022
Mbappe finished sixth in voting for the prestigious award itself, while Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was also quizzed about any lingering interest. “It’s not that I’m bored, it’s that I don’t even read the debate about Mbappe anymore,” insisted the club supremo, who clearly doesn’t seem interested in having anything to do with the French striker.
“We have a spectacular future ahead of us. Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo Goes are real stars. I see them as future Ballon d’Or winners,” explained Perez, clearly satisfied that Real Madrid have all the talent they need without Mbappe. That level of confidence is also shared by many leading bookmakers, tipping them to comfortably win LaLiga again, following their priceless El Clasico triumph against Barcelona last weekend.
Checking through the latest odds, Real Madrid are not considered favourites to retain the Champions League this season, although prices can vary and getting comparisons is highly recommended. This is why Asiabet provides in-depth research and review for the best sports betting sites, known in Thailand as เว็บพนันกีฬาออนไลน์, covering every angle with trusted information and advice, along with offering multi-language support in Thai and all main Asian languages.
Insofar as the language of the beautiful game is concerned, nothing seems quite as rosy for Mbappe right now. Given that Real Madrid president Perez has apparently lost interest, even if the striker were to become available, any realistic chance of him switching to the Bernabeu would seem to have disappeared. He had his chance earlier in the year and opted to stay in Paris, therefore moving to the Spanish capital now seems impossible.
Read: Chemin eSports signs Lokmanyu Chaturvedi for FIFA 23 Season
