Mbappé brings happiness to Madrid... and "fear" in Barcelona

Real Madrid reclaimed the La Liga title from Barcelona this season, and after extending their record in the UEFA Champions League to 15 titles, their signing of global star Kylian Mbappé deepens the wounds of their traditional rival.

Mbappé's addition to an already star-studded team is a stunning statement of intent and could further tilt the balance of power domestically in favor of Madrid. The Catalan club, grappling with crippling self-imposed financial challenges, cannot keep up with the arms race against the white club.

Mbappé arrives on a free transfer at the end of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain, but Barcelona will not be able to afford the high salary of the 25-year-old player or the signing fee.

Barcelona has wasted hundreds of millions on failed signings over the past decade, including Brazilian Philippe Coutinho and the Frenchmen Ousmane Dembélé and Antoine Griezmann, in addition to paying very high wage bills.

Real Madrid's financial strength is evident as they already boast Vinícius Júnior, who loves playing in the same area on the left side of the attack. Therefore, signing Mbappé can be considered a luxury acquisition.

Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti will have to reshape his attacking line, possibly removing the other Brazilian, Rodrygo, from the starting lineup to make room for Mbappé. However, club president Florentino Pérez sees Mbappé as the final piece that will adorn the newly renovated Santiago Bernabéu stadium.

In contrast, Barcelona has recently resorted to loan deals (Portuguese players João Cancelo and João Félix) and signing stars whose contracts with their previous clubs have ended and who are looking for one last challenge (Polish player Robert Lewandowski and German player İlkay Gündoğan).

The Catalan club failed to find a suitable replacement for their veteran defensive midfielder and captain, Sergio Busquets, last summer.

The arrival of French national team captain Mbappé, along with many other young stars already in the ranks of "Los Merengues," including English international Jude Bellingham, could help Real Madrid dominate La Liga for years to come.

Barcelona might look to sign Athletic Bilbao's international Spanish forward Nico Williams to strengthen the left side of their attack in response to their rival's signing. Williams has a release clause in his contract with the Basque club of 50 million euros, making him a more financially viable option for the cash-strapped Catalan side compared to other players of similar quality.

However, any major signing would force Barcelona to sell players first to balance the books, potentially sacrificing some of their stars.

The Catalan club hopes that Mbappé's arrival will disrupt the harmony in Real Madrid's locker room, given his star status, and also cause on-field issues as Ancelotti will need some time to find the best plan to integrate the French striker into the team.

After committing to giving up a portion of their television revenue for the next quarter-century in exchange for massive investments two summers ago, Barcelona will need to rely heavily on their La Masia youth academy, which has produced many outstanding players in recent years.

Recently, several talented young players have emerged, including Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi, giving the club the ability to continue competing against Real Madrid's millions with homegrown talent.

Barcelona has been a victim of Mbappé's explosive talent, as the French striker scored twice and helped eliminate the Catalan club from the Champions League quarterfinals last April.

Mbappé has a good record against Barcelona, having scored six goals in total in four matches against the Spanish team, including a hat-trick in 2021.

Mbappé appears capable of following in the footsteps of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in goal-scoring, as it has been eight years since any player scored 40 goals in La Liga.

Opposing teams are likely to defend deeper and deeper against Real Madrid to prevent Mbappé and Vinícius from destroying them on counter-attacks, much as they often did against Barcelona at the peak of their success under Pep Guardiola.

Now, the Catalans are preparing for what Madrid and its president Pérez hope will be a similar era of brilliant success, rather than another failed "Galácticos" experiment.