REAL MADRID “ignored a dossier” showing Kylian Mbappe’s physical condition was declining before they signed him, according to reports.
The France captain, 25, has struggled since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.
He has scored just once in his last five games and missed a penalty against Liverpool on Wednesday night as Carlo Ancelotti’s men were beaten 2-0 by the Premier League leaders.
Following the Liverpool loss, one fan even filmed themselves burning an Mbappe shirt.
But according to Relevo, the drop-off in Mbappe’s performances was highlighted to Real Madrid in documents before he signed on a free transfer.
The report laid out stats such as average distance travelled, high-intensity efforts and sustained sprint speed.
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They showed he has continued to decline since winning the 2018 World Cup.
It would explain Mbappe’s output since moving to Spain – which has seen him run an average of less than nine kilometres per Champions League game, compared to his team-mates who are racking up more than 10kms.
He has scored nine goals and assisted two in 18 appearances this season.
And he has been playing out of position, with Ancelotti putting him through the middle due to Vinicius Junior occupying the left-hand side.
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Yet he continues to receive criticism from Real Madrid fans and was even dropped by France for their November Nations League games against Israel and Italy.
Ancelotti leapt to Mbappe’s defence following the Liverpool defeat, saying: “Mbappe’s situation parallels that of the entire squad.
“Our focus is to rediscover our best performances, be it from him, myself, or the other players.
“We do not see it as a solitary issue for a player who is still acclimatising to his new surroundings, having netted eight goals and contributed with vital assists in our attack.
“There’s always room for improvement.”
Real Madrid sit second in the LaLiga table but are down in 24th place in the Champions League, the final qualification spot for the play-off round.
Their final three European fixtures in the league phase are against Atalanta, RB Salzburg and Brest.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
