Real Madrid Ready To Offload Mbappe As Dressing Room Drama Reaches Boiling Point?

Real Madrid have no intention of offloading Kylian Mbappé this summer, it has been revealed, despite mounting reports of tension between the player and the club.

Mbappé has navigated a turbulent second campaign at the Bernabéu. Although the star striker is on course to claim consecutive Pichichi awards as La Liga's leading scorer and tops the Champions League scoring charts this season, his goals have not been sufficient to steer Madrid to silverware.

The 27-year-old has yet to lift a major trophy since his arrival at Madrid in 2024, and questions are mounting over whether he can forge a truly effective attacking partnership with the club's other elite players.

An already disappointing season has grown increasingly volatile and contentious in recent weeks, with reports of training ground altercations and off-pitch controversies surfacing.

Why Is Mbappe Under Fire at Real Madrid?

The Athletic reported that Mbappé had a heated exchange with a member of Real Madrid's coaching staff prior to the side's trip to face Real Betis.

"Sources said the Frenchman spoke angrily and in insulting terms towards the member of staff, who was acting as an assistant referee on the sidelines of the match and had called him offside," the report states.

Mbappé also drew further scrutiny for his decision to holiday in Italy while recovering from a hamstring problem, with many supporters arguing that the forward should have stayed with the squad—or at least maintained a lower profile—given the team's difficult situation.

When asked about the matter, Álvaro Arbeloa told the media: "In their free time, each player does what they see fit, and I don't get involved in that.

"All planning regarding injured players is supervised and managed by Madrid's medical staff, who are the ones who decide when they need to go to Valdebebas (the club's training centre) and when they don't."

Mbappe Defends His Commitment to Madrid

According to The Athletic's report, Mbappé—despite Arbeloa's public remarks—does not enjoy unanimous support within the club, with a number of figures internally criticising the player's recent conduct.

L'Équipe goes even further, suggesting there is a rising sense of "irritation" at Mbappé's "lack of discretion" and "overly individualistic nature."

Mbappé himself hit back at the wave of criticism with a statement reading: "Part of the criticisms are based on an overinterpretation of elements related to a recovery period strictly supervised by the club.

"This is NOT corresponding to the reality of the commitment and the work that Kylian does daily for the good of the team."

Could Madrid Sell Mbappe?

The recent incidents appear to have marked a turning point in the relationship between the player and the fanbase, with a fan-driven petition calling on the club to sell Mbappé amassing over 12 million signatures.

Nevertheless, despite the current ill-feeling, Madrid are not entertaining the idea of a high-profile summer sale.

Addressing the situation, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano told his YouTube channel on Tuesday that a split between player and club in the upcoming transfer window is simply not on the cards.

"For sure it's not the best moment between Kylian Mbappé and Real Madrid. That's a reality," Romano said. "Let's not exaggerate. Let's not say the relationship between Real Madrid and Mbappé is broken.

"Let's not say it's over. Let's not even mention that Real Madrid are considering an Mbappé exit this summer. There's nothing about this. Nothing at all.

"The future of Mbappé, at least this summer, is not in doubt."

Meanwhile, AS journalist Tomás Roncero dismissed the notion of Mbappé's potential exit as "social media nonsense."

Mbappé's current contract at Madrid runs until 2029 and includes a buyout clause of €1 billion ($1.2 billion).

How Do Madrid Get the Best Out of Mbappé?

The task beyond the summer will be mending the rift between player and club, while identifying a way to unlock the best of Mbappé at Madrid without undermining the rest of the squad.

Arbeloa is widely expected to depart his managerial role this summer, and the incoming head coach's primary challenge will be devising a tactical setup capable of harnessing the abilities of Mbappé, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and others in unison. Many believe this is simply an impossible task.

Didier Deschamps, the current France national team head coach, has been mentioned as a potential candidate to replace Arbeloa and boasts considerable experience building a team around the superstar forward.

Deschamps, renowned for his pragmatic, system-oriented approach, guided France to back-to-back World Cup finals—claiming the title in 2018—with Mbappé featuring prominently in both runs.

Meanwhile, Mbappé was recently spotted liking a social media post suggesting José Mourinho could make a return to the Bernabéu.