Despite the fanfare about Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid, there was reportedly a hidden concern lurking behind the scenes—a red flag that the club chose to ignore. Kylian Mbappe‘s highly anticipated move to Real Madrid during the summer transfer window was supposed to be a triumphant chapter in the club’s storied history.

Real Madrid is out of sorts, and the Frenchman is part of that. As such, the glare falls on him. He’s the story, a dialed-down, diluted version of the soccer phenom he was upon arrival in Spain. A dizzied surfer unable to ride the waves he once could.