Mbappe is not a real number nine

Kylian Mbappe must learn to play as a central striker at Real Madrid because he will not be able to displace Vinicius Junior on the left, the club’s former forward Karim Benzema says.

France star Mbappe, who joined Real after his Paris St-Germain contract ended in July, has eight goals in 14 appearances for his new club but has scored just once in his past five games.

The 25-year-old’s favoured position is on the left wing but manager Carlo Ancelotti has kept Brazil international Vinicius in that position, forcing Mbappe to play centrally.

“The problem, in my opinion, is that [Mbappe] is not a central striker, even with the national team, every time he plays as a number nine he doesn’t feel right, because that’s not his position,” former France striker Benzema said on Spanish television show El Chiringuito., external

“On the left, he’s got a guy who’s at the same level as him, Vinicius, so there is a problem, you can’t play Vinicius as a number nine or on the right, because when he plays on the left he makes the difference in every game.

“Mbappe isn’t a real number nine. People ask a lot of him and he’s under a lot of pressure, this isn’t Paris St-Germain.”