Mbappe: Arbeloa told me I am the fourth choice striker at Real Madrid

Kylian Mbappe has broken his silence after being booed by Real Madrid fans and controversially dropped by manager Alvaro Arbeloa.

Mbappe said the Spanish tactician told him he had fallen to fourth in the striking pecking order.

The French superstar came off the bench during Madrid’s 2-0 win over Real Oviedo.

However, he spent much of the post-match fallout defending himself against criticism following a turbulent second half of the season.

“I haven’t played because the manager told me I’m the fourth-choice striker in the squad behind (Franco) Mastantuono, Vini (Vincius Junior) and Gonzalo (Garcia),” Mbappe said after the game (via Marca).

“I was ready to start, it’s his decision, and you always have to respect it.”

Arbeloa later denied making the comment, claiming Mbappe must not have understood correctly.

The exchange only added fuel to the growing tension around the Madrid dressing room.

Fans loudly jeered Mbappe when he entered the pitch, but he attempted to downplay the reaction from supporters.

“It’s normal,” he said. “When we haven’t won, people choose players to boo. It happens at every club in the world. Nobody’s going to die tonight.”

The 27-year-old also addressed criticism surrounding his recent trip to Italy.

He insists he had the club’s full permission and dismisses suggestions that he lacked commitment during Madrid’s collapse in the title race.

“You don’t know what I did in Italy,” he said. “People don’t know the context. The only important thing for me is winning titles. That’s where I and the team made mistakes.”

Mbappe admitted Madrid’s campaign had unravelled dramatically after a strong start to the season.

“We had a structure and a playing style, but we lost it all,” he explained. “That’s not what Real Madrid is about.”

The forward also revealed frustration over narratives surrounding his injury struggles, particularly claims questioning his desire to play.

“When I played every game, people said I was playing too much,” Mbappe said. “Then, when I got injured, people said I didn’t want to play. So which one is it?”

Despite speculation over his future, Mbappe insisted he has no interest in leaving the Spanish giants.

“I’m very happy in Madrid,” he said. “Why would I want to leave?”

And that may be the biggest irony in this entire saga. Mbappe has become the lightning rod for a failing Madrid side despite continuing to produce goals at an elite level.

Madrid signed him to deliver numbers, and he has done exactly that by the bucketload. The real issue is that too many around him have failed to raise their own levels.

The club also made the baffling decision to dismiss a proven manager mid-season and replace him with Arbeloa, who has done little to improve performances or stabilise the chaos.

However, supporters always want a villain when standards collapse, and Mbappe is a global superstar on an enormous salary with a permanent spotlight.

He is being overscrutinised because he is the most obvious scapegoat.