Among millions of Madridistas worldwide, Rafael Nada stands tall. The 22-time Grand Slam champion has backed Real Madrid since childhood and has been spotted multiple times at Bernabeau backing his club.
The tennis icon, in a recent interview, gave his two cents on the "Kylian Mbappe transfer saga." The Spaniard said Real Madrid should sign the French attacker as soon as possible -- "tomorrow" if possible. When the interviewer asked whether Nadal is one of those Madridistas who has "forgiven" Mbappe, the 37-year-old said there is nothing to forgive him about.
"I don't have to forgive Mbappe for anything and as a Madrid fan, if I could, let him come tomorrow," Nadal told AS.
Nadal also defended Mbappe opting out of a move to Madrid last summer. He said people should understand the kind of pressure Mbappe was experiencing at a young age due to the transfer saga.
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"In the end, things happen in sport and I suppose that such a young boy was overwhelmed by such tremendous pressure from all angles that in the end... I think he wanted to come to Madrid, but due to many factors everything became very complicated for him. I hope he can see him in Madrid in the future," AS reported Nadal as saying.
For the unversed, Mbappe's current club had PSG rejected an offer of 180 million euros in 2021 from Real. The Spanish side then missed out a year later when Mbappe — amid frenzied speculation that the Los Blancos would finally get him to join — signed a new deal with PSG in May 2022.
Mbape held aloft the PSG jersey that day with 2025 on the back. But he was reportedly annoyed because the actual deal only took him to 2024 and, while good PR for the club, it was also seen as somewhat presumptuous to expect he would sign the extension given his world renown.
Rafa talks about Ancelotti's Real Madrid
Sharing his happiness over the La Liga leaders's good form, Nadal said the Los Blancos have well combined its youngbloods with veterans to yield good results. He also lauded gaffer Carlo Ancelotti for using his resources well to create a "team that excites."
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"Madrid is in a privileged position in all competitions, playing fantastic football for me. And until the last three games before the break everything was going smoothly. I think Madrid has a great team, with a coach who knows how to manage everything in the best possible way. And I am happy to see Madrid as it is, with many young players combined, with veteran players. It is a team that excites," the Spanish report quoted him as saying.
Mbappe to Madrid: What we know so far
The French forward's camp was unimpressed by the fresh package set forth by Real Madrid. Mbappe, 25, has been linked to the Spanish giants for some time now but the latest offer put forth is not what Mbappe hoped for, a report said. Mbappe has not made up his mind because "influential members" of Mbappe's "entourage have been left unconvinced" after going through Real Madrid's latest offer, The Athletic said in a report on Tuesday.
The report stated quoting sources that the said contract, if accepted by Mbappe, would make him the costliest star in the current Los Blacos squad by far. However, it is less than what the club offered him in 2022. The previous negotiations resulted in Real making a $140 million bid to poach him from PSG. The Frenchman is currently earning $80.8 million net before bonuses at PSG, and The Athletic notes that Real Madrid cannot match the same.
