"I have dreamed for many nights of playing for Real Madrid, and today I am very happy." These were the first words of French star Kylian Mbappé during his legendary presentation as a player for Real Madrid. These words came from the young French star and immediately won the hearts of Madrid fans who had long awaited Mbappé to lead the team's attack, despite many circumstances preventing the completion of the transfer in past years.
**Childhood Dream**
Since childhood, Mbappé has loved Real Madrid, and Zinedine Zidane, who was the sporting director of the club at that time, invited the boy to come to Madrid, as there were high hopes for this rising star to join the club. However, Mbappé chose at that time to join Monaco to avoid the leap to a club as big as Real Madrid. He was only 13 years old when he moved to the principality, which was his first step into the world of football.
Mbappé made notable progress, starting to play with the U17 team at Monaco, then moving to the U19 team. Just one month after turning 18, he joined the first team and signed his first professional contract.
**The First Step**
In November 2015, he was called up for the first time to the first team by coach Leonardo Jardim, and he commented: "My life starts today." Mbappé became the youngest player to debut in Ligue 1 with Monaco and the youngest scorer in the club's history.
He took every minute he was given, playing under the shadow of Colombian Radamel Falcao. He finished the season with 26 goals, including 6 in the Champions League. In the European competition, Mbappé helped eliminate Manchester City, led by Pep Guardiola, to face Juventus in the semifinals, where he became the youngest scorer in the history of this stage, although he was unable to overcome the Italian team. After winning his first title, the Ligue 1 trophy that Monaco snatched from Paris Saint-Germain that season, Mbappé's name returned to the headlines. From here, he began searching for a new challenge after proving himself at Monaco.
**Failed Attempts**
In the summer of 2017, Mbappé joined Paris Saint-Germain on a one-year loan with an option for a permanent transfer, which was activated in the summer of 2018 for a fee of around €180 million. This transfer was one of the most expensive deals in football history.
Real Madrid returned in the summer of 2021 to submit an official offer to Paris Saint-Germain to acquire Mbappé for €160 million. With PSG's management rejecting the proposal, Real raised the offer to €180 million. Despite attractive offers, PSG held firm and decided to keep Mbappé until the end of his contract in June 2022. This decision surprised many, as it was expected that Mbappé would transfer to Real Madrid.
Real Madrid made another attempt to sign Mbappé for free in the summer of 2022. Indeed, everything was agreed upon, but the young player backed down and decided to extend his contract with PSG until summer 2024, following an explicit intervention from French President Emmanuel Macron to convince him to stay.
Mbappé's decision caused significant shock among Real Madrid fans and anger from Florentino Pérez, who publicly criticized the French player's actions. However, Real Madrid did not completely close the door on Mbappé, leaving it open for him to finalize a transfer under his own terms this summer, with a contract extending for five seasons.
**Awaited Dreams**
Mbappé aspires to continue his exceptional successes and achievements in his career wearing the Real Madrid jersey. He aims to capture the Champions League title, which he has sought for many years, relying on the current Madrid team to help him achieve his dream and the club's favored trophy. Additionally, Mbappé is eager to claim the Ballon d'Or for the first time in his career, especially since being at a club of Real Madrid's stature and continuously winning titles will increase his chances of winning the award.
