MADRID, SPAIN - AUGUST 25: Federico Valverde of Real Madrid celebrates scoring his team's first goal with teammate Kylian Mbappe during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and Real Valladolid CF at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on August 25, 2024 in Madrid, Spain.

Real Madrid midfielder opens up on Mbappe’s adaptation at Real Madrid

Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images

Over the last few years, Federico Valverde has truly become one of the leaders of this Real Madrid team. With his grit, passion, commitment, and skill, the Uruguayan has established himself as one of the most important players in Carlo Ancelotti’s squad, even more so after the departure of a player as big as Toni Kroos.

Although they differ significantly in their style of play, the Uruguayan is still widely recognised as the heir of Toni Kroos in the Merengue team. Thus, his voice is gaining greater weight, both in the dressing room and outside when he interacts with the media.

As MARCA has reported, Valverde addressed one of the hot topics at Real Madrid for the last few months, the incorporation and adaptation of Kylian Mbappe. The French forward joined Los Blancos last summer, but from the very start, there were some doubts on whether he would be able to gel in well with his new teammates at Real Madrid.

For his part, Valverde praised the World Cup winner, and showed his gratitude for having him in his team in an interview with France Football which is going to be published on Saturday:

“We all know the kind of player he is; he’s one of the best in the world. I think, right now, having him here is an immense satisfaction, a joy to share the field with him. I’ve faced him with PSG, and I’ve faced him with Uruguay. He stands out in every match, in every training session. A top player. Thank God we can have him with us; I can enjoy him, and my family can too, my kids get to watch him.”

Further commenting on his adaptation at Real Madrid, Valverde believed he had already silenced many of the critics who believed he would be a source of trouble for Ancelotti:

“And as a person, he’s incredible. He silenced a lot of critics—people said there would be many conflicts when he arrived, and all that… He proved all those rumors wrong and showed he’s a spectacular person.”

After a rather slow start to his Real Madrid career, Mbappe did not need long to get going, and he already has six goals and one assist in ten appearances for the Merengues. He had to go through an unfortunate injury in between but hopefully will continue to perform at his usual level when the current international break is over.

Tags Federico Valverde Kylian Mbappé