Former Real Madrid star Casemiro has revealed that he personally asked club president Florentino Perez to sign Kylian Mbappe after facing him in the Champions League. The Brazilian midfielder, now at Manchester United, admitted that Mbappe was nearly impossible to stop on the pitch.
Speaking to Diario AS (via Madrid Xtra), Casemiro said:
“Did I ask to sign Mbappe after the Parc des Princes match? Yes. I spoke to the president and told him: ‘Sign him, it’s impossible to stop him.’”
He was referring to the UEFA Champions League Round-of-16 tie between Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the 2021-22 season. Although Madrid won 3-2 on aggregate, Mbappe gave them a tough time. He scored the only goal in the first leg, which PSG won 1-0, and then struck again at the Santiago Bernabeu, putting his team 2-0 ahead on aggregate.
However, Real Madrid made a stunning comeback, thanks to a second-half hat-trick from Karim Benzema. They eventually lifted the Champions League trophy that season after defeating Liverpool 1-0 in the final.
Mbappe officially joined Real Madrid on a free transfer two years later, while Casemiro moved to Manchester United in the summer of 2022.
Mbappe’s Performance at Real Madrid
After years of speculation, Kylian Mbappe finally signed for Real Madrid last summer. His arrival brought high expectations, as fans believed he would further strengthen the team’s attack.
However, the 26-year-old initially struggled to find his rhythm. He was often played as a central forward instead of his preferred left-wing position, which affected his goal-scoring form. This led to criticism from both fans and football analysts.
But now, Mbappe has adapted to his role and is performing well. He has scored seven goals in his last five league games. So far, he has 24 goals and three assists in 36 matches across all competitions.
