When Real Madrid is in transfer rumors, they are usually linked with the best of the best. It's only natural and hardly surprising that both Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe have recently been connected to the Spanish giants.
Of course, the rumors around Mbappe are stronger, but a recent report by Marca highlighted that Haaland is also an option. Both of these players are truly amazing and have great credentials to join the 13-time Champions League winners. However, one will definitely be better than the other for Los Blancos.
Here are two reasons why Erling Haaland is better for Real Madrid than Kylian Mbappe.
Why Real Madrid should go for Erling Haaland over Kylian Mbappe
1. Direct replacement for Karim Benzema
After Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid in the summer of 2018, a huge gap was left. Fans of the club were worried for the future and had every reason to be. However, in came Karim Benzema to just dominate in the dusk of his career. The Frenchman is 34 now and will not be able to play at this level for much longer. Therefore, the main aim of Real Madrid should be to replace him—and Haaland is clearly better suited for that role than Mbappe.
With all respect to Mbappe, of course, Haaland is a different type of player. The Norwegian striker was known as a physical, pacey striker for most of his young career. However, in Borussia Dortmund this season, he's playing much more like a distributor. One fallacy surrounding Haaland is that he requires a team's full attention. That's just completely untrue, as he fits into any system and simply gets goals due to his ability to get into the right positions. Real Madrid needs a player that can do both rather than a simple goalscorer, a description that now applies to Haaland.
Additionally, Benzema spends a lot of his time getting out on the right and the left. He plays a lot of short passes with the midfield trio, and does not simply wait in front of the goal. If Haaland can expand on that part of his game, Real Madrid would simply slide him in and continue playing the same way. Haaland would also leave space for the likes of Vinicius Junior to continue his development rather fall into a plan B for Madrid's attacks.
Similar to Haaland, Benzema was also considered just a goalscorer in his Lyon stint before moving on to the Spanish capital. His evolution into a distributor and playmaker can be done, and that is what Real Madrid can get from Haaland. Don't forget his unbelievable nose for the back of the net, either. The Norwegian already has 145 goals in his career, including 53 in 53 appearances for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.
Real Madrid would be thrilled to bring in either Haaland or Mbappe, but the former is a far snugger fit in Benzema's place.
Commitment to football
Erling Haaland's love for football as a game is almost uncanny. He constantly mentions that he lives and breathes the game. If that was not the case, of course, he wouldn't rank among the better players in the world. Real Madrid has enough distractions on their side, especially with the controversial nature of president Florentino Perez. If they were to get a player who is this focused on the game, it would be a benefit for multiple reasons.
Real Madrid dumped €100 million on Gareth Bale, and while he had some great seasons, obviously, he hasn't been a good investment. The main issue with him was constant injuries and distractions off the pitch, such as his infamous love for golf. If Real Madrid were to invest a ton of money into another player, they'd need to know he is focused. Haaland definitely is. Mbappe's commitment doesn't need questioning, but still can't be measured against Haaland's.
Also, it is important to mention that Haaland wants to keep improving. He has plans to become the best player in the world and that signals a lot of commitment to improvement. Just a few years back, Real Madrid splashed a lot of money on Eden Hazard from Chelsea, and while he was hit by numerous injuries, he also came in with a lot of fitness problems. If they decide to go for Haaland, they can be sure that fate won't befall him.
Whoever they decide to get, Real Madrid will do well on the transfer market. If they can get both Haaland and Mbappe, it would be beyond anything the football world has ever seen. But if they have to choose, Perez and Real Madrid must to consider the factors mentioned above. If they want a committed player who can follow the footsteps of Benzema, Haaland is definitely the right choice.
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