Mbappe to have a different role than Real Madrid with France under Zidane – report

Mbappe to have a different role than Real Madrid with France under Zidane – report Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane is set to take charge of France for the first time during the current international break, and the new manager is considering changes to his attacking setup that could directly affect Kylian Mbappe. Indeed, according to RMC Sport (h/t Mundo Deportivo ), Zidane is weighing up moving the Real Madrid forward away from his central striker role and back to the left wing, the position he occupied earlier in his international career. Zidane considering Mbappe on the left The new France manager had already hinted at a different role for Mbappe since announcing his squad last week. Zidane could use Mbappe on the left wing. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images) On being asked if he saw the Real Madrid superstar as his first-choice centre-forward with the national team, Zidane had said : “I don’t think so, he can play in all three positions, I really like him on the left.” The comments suggest that Zidane sees Mbappe’s versatility as an opportunity to reshape France’s attack rather than simply keeping him as the central striker. Playing on the left would also be familiar territory for Mbappe. At Real Madrid, he has increasingly had to operate through the middle, but his natural role has always been on the left flank. At the club, though, Vinicius Jr. happens to be the undisputed starter on the left flank, which has created some problem as both players tend to occupy the same kind of positions on the pitch, which was clearly visible during the derby defeat to Atletico Madrid . Mbappe to return to his natural role with France? (Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images) Dembele could move into the centre According to the report, Mbappe moving to the left could allow Ousmane Dembele to take over as France’s central striker. The 2025 Ballon d’Or winner has excelled in a central role in Luis Enrique’s fluid system at PSG over the past couple of seasons and Zidane sees him as an option for the role in the national team setup. For Mbappe, the switch would represent a return to a familiar position under a new France manager, with Zidane already making clear that he wants to make full use of the forward’s ability to play across the front three.