In a short answer, yes. In a longer answer – uggghhhh, only in the ways that leaves Culers despondent. Football is decided by the results on the field, sure, but Barcelona are in a bad way right now and things off the field have to get straightened out before there are any expectations going forward. Barcelona may win trophies this year, but that’s despite the financial troubles, not due to them.
With the outcry of Florentino Perez about the Super League and Real Madrid desperately needing money, it’s a bit unsettling to see him bid €170m plus €10m for Mbappe. If Barcelona did indeed have to sell their soul for the Super League money, it should be no surprise that Perez is showing no qualms about both selling his soul and looking a tad hypocritical doing it. That said, in this case, the hubris of Florentino Perez may be necessary. While Perez will say that Barça’s rivals are in great debt due to upgrades on their stadium and the pandemic (kinda true), his audacity to want Mbappe may not be a bad thing for La Liga.
As Dan discussed on the latest podcast with Patreon Mike Crimmins, the influence of Mbappe off the field may be worth more to the league (and therefore Barcelona) than he’ll cause problems for the Blaugrana on it.
Mbappe is a superstar. While he’s yet to win the Champions League and flopped for France at Euro 2020, he’s still the reigning player of the year in Ligue 1, has led the league in goals for three seasons, and has won a World Cup. He’s still just 22-years-old, and would immediately become the most marketable star in La Liga.
On the field, Real Madrid will always splurge for the biggest stars in the game. The Los Galaticos era had mixed results, and only by signing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Kaká, and Xabi Alonso in 2009 were they able to compete with Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Barça side. Mbappe is one of the best forwards in the world, there’s no denying that, but a superstar signing never guarantees titles in La Liga.
Off the field is where this signing could matter for the Blaugrana. In the first year of the ESPN deal in North America, bringing in a star like Mbappe would calm the suits. The FIFA 21 (and soon-to-be-released FIFA 22) cover athlete is recognizable and may fill some of the huge market value hole left by Lionel Messi. Due to Barcelona’s finances, they may fall behind the likes of PSG and the powerful clubs in the Premier League regardless, but Real Madrid splashing for Mbappe may keep eyes and thereby money, focused on La Liga.
It should be said that Mbappe’s endorsements, which are received by the player, total $14m at the moment. To understand just how powerful of a marketing giant Messi is – his endorsements totaled $33m last season. For Cristiano Ronaldo, who is plastered across every bit of merchandise under the sun, the number is $50m. Neymar isn’t too far ahead of Mbappe, bringing in $19m. The biggest name in the Premier League prior to Ronaldo’s return was Mohamed Salah, with $15m in endorsements.
Real Madrid need Barcelona, and to some degree Atletico Madrid, to push them towards greatness. There are too many great teams fighting for the Champions League to put all your eggs in that basket (sorry PSG). In the same regard, Barcelona need their rivals to continue to attract giants of the sport and make La Liga must-watch viewing. Don’t get it twisted – it would make any Culer happy to watch Real Madrid lose every match they play. But it’s a good thing for Barça if they’re doing it with stars that pay the league bills, which in theory should help out one of the teams that made a few financial mistakes the last few seasons.
Dan Hilton is an American journalist, broadcaster, and current Editor-in-Chief of BarcaBlog. Extensive work as a play-by-play broadcaster, producer behind the scenes, and quite average player in his younger years has given him a well-rounded and informative perspective on the sport. Alongside BarcaBlog founder Francesc, Dan started The Barcelona Podcast in 2017
