Real Madrid made were in the news in the final stages of the 2021-22 summer transfer window with bids around 200 million euros for French forward Kylian Mbappe. Despite one year being left in the player’s contract and his public willingness to join the Spanish giants, Paris Saint-Germain refused to sell the coveted attacker.
Real Madrid legend Fernando Morientes, speaking to media through an arrangement made by Viacom 18, admitted that Mbappe would’ve made the club a lot stronger than it is at the moment. But, he still believes that the forward line currently at the disposal of Los Blancos is good enough to challenge for titles.
“Kylian Mbappe transfer would’ve made Real Madrid a stronger team but the forward line is still very potent. Mbappe is one of the best in the world but Real Madrid have some good forwards like Eden Hazard, Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, Vinicius Jr., etc.”, he said.
When asked about the future of Serbian forward Luka Jovic who was signed from Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt for a huge some, Morientes expressed confidence in the young striker’s ability to regain form under new manager Carlo Ancelotti.
“Luka Jovic came from Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt after scoring a lot of goals but hasn’t hit the ground running at Real Madrid. He is still a young player who can be a good alternative to Karim Benzema under Carlo Ancellotti,” said the iconic footballer.
Both Real Madrid and Barcelona admitted to have been struggling financially, with the latter even forced to let Messi leave the club for free due to monetary constraints. The entire league’s revenues have taken a hit since Covid-19 outbreak began but Morientes feels a change in the scenario is just around the corner.
“La Liga clubs have had problems in generating revenues due to fans’ absence from the stadiums and decreased shirt sales at well. La Liga is doing very well to ensure that clubs are able to perform at the highest level in Europe. In the future, the finances will fall into live with incomes,” the 45-year-old opined.
On being asked to pick his favoured striker between Benzema and Luis Suarez of Atletico Madrid, Morientes took a diplomatic approach but did express his preference of the French forward over the Uruguayan.
“Karim Benzema and Luis Suarez are two the best forwards in the modern game. Benzema is my preferred player in the game as he can play as a No. 9 as well as a No. 10. Both of them are likely to compete for the Pichichi trophy this season,” he said.
