Real Madrid’s next steps: Kylian Mbappe’s arrival ushers in new Galacticos era for Champions League winners

Real Madrid has secured a 15th UEFA Champions League title thanks to it Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior score in a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on Saturday. With the Spanish giants’ latest continental triumph confirmed, Kylian Mbappe’s signature comes less than 48 hours after Monday’s announcement by the Spanish and European title holders.

The French superstar was confirmed as the La Liga giants’ last major signing on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain with a short statement confirming his arrival on a five-year contract, but Mbappé won’t be the only change to this squad. Dortmund exposed the vulnerabilities that Real had all season, yet European football’s dominant force ultimately emerged victorious.

With Mbappe and Endrick arriving at the Santiago Bernabeu and other potential new faces such as Leny Yoro also linked to Real, the curtain has fallen on Kroos and the same could happen to captain Nacho Fernandez. Kepa Arrizabalaga’s loan has ended and he will return to Chelsea having made minimal impact apart from confirming Andriy Lunin’s back-up status.

The Ukraine international is expected to extend his contract to remain at Los Merengues alongside Luka Modric, while Lucas Vazquez may also sign a short-term extension as Ancelotti rebuilds parts of the current group. Rodrygo will logically revert to a team role after a subdued performance against Dortmund, while hero Joselu was only loaned from Espanyol in the semi-final.

Perhaps most impressive is the number of regular starters who should be fully fit again next season: Thibaut Courtois is another UCL winner after his last clean sheet in a final, but there are both Eder Militao and David Alaba to be reckoned with . Add to that the precocious young talent Arda Guler and that is essentially four new signings alongside Mbappé and Endrick that Ancelotti can work on.

Kroos will leave a substantial hole in the middle, but Modric declaring he is staying softens the immediate impact of that loss from both a technical and leadership perspective. Elsewhere, Nacho might not have played so heavily had Militao and Alaba not been seriously injured, and Lunin might have been able to pack his bags had he not been impressed in Courtois’ absence before Kepa.

Rodrygo may be the one to keep an eye on ahead of Mbappe’s arrival, but there is no guarantee as to how Ancelotti will choose to continue with the France captaincy until next season. There are several variations of how Real Vini Jr. and Bellingham can put Mbappe and Rodrygo on the pitch, but chances are someone won’t be completely happy.

That promises to be the problem of the next campaign, however, as there is a moment for collective and personal celebration as Real and Ancelotti write further history for the Spanish and European kings, despite it seeming like just another day at the office . Perhaps the most frightening prospect of all: Mbappe joining a team that is already effortlessly dominant without him.

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