In what is shaping up to be the story of the summer, Kylian Mbappe is likely leaving PSG on a free transfer. The French superstar is out of contract in July and it is increasingly likely that he will be Real Madrid bound. The Spanish giants offered €200 million last summer, even though he was in his last contract year. PSG, hoping to win the Champions League, rejected the offer, but will lose him this summer. As Real Madrid fans rejoice, it is still important to say that Mbappe does not help solve their issues, at least not most of them. Let's look at three reasons why Kylian Mbappe does not resolve Real Madrid's problems.

Kylian Mbappe doesn't resolve most Real Madrid issues

Their defense is tragic 

Unfortunately for Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappe cannot help with their poor defense. Now, it is important to mention that their defense is fairly good, compared to some earlier iterations of the Spanish club. Eder Militao and David Alaba are playing well together and it is especially Militao who is shaping up to be a great center back in the future. Alaba took the role of Sergio Ramos, leading from the back and he has been an excellent free transfer. However, then we go to the flanks and there are serious issues there. They are somewhat resolvable internally, but the short-term solution must come from the transfer market. With most attention on Mbappe, the issues will prevail.

On the right flank, Dani Carvajal has a secure spot each time he is fit. Unfortunately for Real Madrid, he is fairly rarely fit and when he is, he does not look like the right-back they need. He is prone to make mistakes, has lost a ton of his pace due to injuries, and pushes too much in the attack. His replacement is Lucas Vasquez, but he is a right-winger turned right-back, which is not good enough for the stature of Real Madrid. On the left, Ferland Mendy is elite, but he has been injured for massive stretches of games. With Marcelo leaving, it will likely be Nacho covering for him, and we all saw how that turned out in the El Clasico which Real Madrid lost 0-4. They have youngster Miguel Gutierrez, but he has been stuck in Castilla, rather than playing with the first team.

Their midfield is aging – and it is on full display 

The iconic midfield of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Casemiro is up there with the legendary Barcelona trio of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets, as one of the best midfields in European football. Real Madrid have relied on them time and time again, even as they had other options. Now, they have Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga, but they can barely break into the team, with manager Carlo Ancelotti plain refusing to rotate his squad. This has caused friction between the fans and the manager, who has been frustrating the Real Madrid faithful with his lack of playing time for Valverde specifically.

It could just be Ancelotti refusing to rotate that is the issue with the Real Madrid midfield, but it will leave lasting consequences. Modric is 36, Kroos is 32, and Casemiro is 30, and while they are all amazing players, they have been exposed in some big games. In their Champions League semifinals versus Chelsea in 2021, they were outrun by the Blues midfielders. Similarly, they were completely overmatched versus Barcelona, who boasted a midfield largely comprised of their youngsters. If something is not changed, and younger guys such as Valverde, Camavinga, and prospect Antonio Blanco, are not played more, then they will not have the experience to take over from KCM. Kylian Mbappe is good, but he needs a stable midfield to support him at all times in the game.

Their attack is good enough – and can get even better

Here, Mbappe will likely help. He is a player that will bag 20 or more goals almost guaranteed in any league, as his pace and finishing ability mimic a very young Cristiano Ronaldo. However, there is one issue with that – this Real Madrid does not really need it. It seems like Real Madrid have two gaping wounds and one part of their body that works without a scratch, but they are applying first aid on the healthy part. With so many talented attackers such as Benzema, Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, Jovic, and Asensio, getting Mbappe is good, simply due to the quality of the Frenchman, but it is not what they need.

Additionally, getting Mbappe will likely cause some issues with playing time. Real Madrid have played both Asensio and Rodrygo on the right, the preferred spot of Mbappe, and when he does arrive, he will cut their time dramatically. Both Asensio and Rodrygo are worse players than Kylian Mbappe, granted, but they had some great moments in the Real Madrid shirt and could suffer a lot with a lack of playing time. This is especially true for Rodrygo. The Brazilian youngster has been slowly finding his footing in Real Madrid this season, getting more and more chances on the field, but with Mbappe likely to arrive, he will either have to be chained to the bench or try and work to be Benzema's replacement in the middle.

Once again, it is worth noting that Real Madrid getting Mbappe is not bad. On the contrary, it will be a masterful move by president Florentino Perez to get such a good player on a free transfer. However, Real Madrid fans need to understand that getting Kylian Mbappe will not resolve the defensive issues or the midfield issues. He will do great anywhere he goes in the summer, but he is not the savior that Real Madrid seeks at this moment in time.