Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde has asserted that Kylian Mbappé has already silenced his critics who suggested that his move to the La Liga club would create issues within the team.
Since transferring from Paris Saint-Germain on a free deal last summer, Mbappé has made a significant impact at Madrid, scoring seven goals, including five in La Liga.
Recently, his early return from a thigh injury to play for Madrid in matches against Lille and Villarreal sparked controversy regarding his absence from the French national team’s squad.
“We all know the class of player [Mbappé] is; he’s one of the best in the world,” Valverde told France Football in an extract from an interview to be published on Saturday. “Having him here today is a huge satisfaction; it’s a joy to share a pitch with him.
“I’ve had to suffer [playing against him] with PSG and playing against France with my country [Uruguay]. He stands out in every game, in every training session. He’s a top player. Thank God he’s here with us; I can enjoy it, my family can too, and my kids can watch him.”
Mbappé was a Madrid target for years before finally making the switch this summer, but there were some doubts over how he’d fit into a team that won a Champions League and La Liga double last season and already featured Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham, and Rodrygo Goes.
“As a person [Mbappé] is incredible,” Valverde said. “He’s shut a lot of people up; [people said] if he came here there’d be a lot of conflict; I don’t know what else.
“He’s quietened all that down, all those rumours, and he’s shown he’s a spectacular person… [His Spanish] is impressive, better than mine!”
Madrid face a tough run of games after the international break, visiting Celta Vigo and hosting Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League before playing league leaders Barcelona in the first Clásico of the season.