Kylian Mbappe's Career Crisis at Real Madrid: Complex Relations with Bellingham and Impact on the Game

Kylian Mbappe seems isolated at Real Madrid, and his relationship with Jude Bellingham only complicates his adaptation to the club. We look into the player's current form and impact on the team.

Emmanuel Petit believes Jude Bellingham is neglecting Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe, who appears "unhappy on and off the pitch". Mbappe completed his eagerly anticipated move to Real Madrid in the summer. He joined the La Liga giants on a free transfer after his Paris Saint-Germain contract expired.

The World Cup winner ranks only sixth in the 2024 top goalscorer in Europe list and has struggled to fit in at Real Madrid. The 25-year-old failed to score in his first three La Liga matches and has faced heavy criticism for his performances since joining the club.

Mbappe has scored ten goals and provided two assists in his 20 appearances for Real Madrid, but he has missed penalties in recent losses against Liverpool and Athletic Bilbao. After the Frenchman failed to convert from the spot in Real Madrid’s 2-0 defeat at Anfield against Liverpool, a club legend said he "looked scared" as he stepped up.

Ancelotti has difficulty finding the right balance with his team, as Mbappe and Vinicius Junior are quite similar. Real Madrid holds the second spot in La Liga and 24th in the Champions League. Former Chelsea and Arsenal star Petit believes Mbappe is "lonely at Real Madrid" and "Bellingham is ignoring him." "I think Kylian Mbappe is so lonely at Real Madrid," Petit stated.

"I noticed Jude Bellingham ignoring him, and it doesn't even seem like he gets any assistance or has friends at the club. He's been slammed by the press and doesn't appear to have friends in Paris or Spain, and he's also become a public enemy number one in France because of what happened during the last international break. He's far from his level this season, too. I know he's scored ten goals, but it's just stats, and he doesn't look like himself.

I merely share what I feel when I look at him, and he seems unhappy both on and off the pitch. He was the king in France and could do whatever he wanted at PSG and with France, but now it's not the same anymore. He's lonely, and at the top level, the biggest challenge is against yourself, and you need to solve your issues on the pitch."

Following Real Madrid’s 2-1 defeat against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday night, Ancelotti refused to blame Mbappe for the loss. "He missed the penalty, but I can’t evaluate the game based solely on one penalty because you can score or miss it," Ancelotti said. "Mbappe is upset, he's disappointed, but we have to keep going. He's not at his best level, but you have to give him time to adapt. He's scored 10 goals, and he's striving to improve."