Madrid shot itself in the leg as 70,000 fans expected to witness Mbappe’s presentation can’t get his jersey to buy

The frenzy around Kylian Mbappe’s arrival has already gotten too much for the club’s suppliers. Fans will be looking to attend his presentation, but not many of them will be doing so in Mbappe shirts.

  Los Blancos will allow fans in free to the Santiago Bernabeu at noon CEST on Tuesday as Mbappe is presented to the crowds – it is expected in spectacular fashion. Members will be given priority for tickets though, which can be booked currently. Madrid premium members will have access on Saturday, and the general public on Sunday.

The French forward will be presented at noon due to a series of four Karol G concerts taking place at the Bernabeu from next Saturday to Tuesday, but the organisers have already booked the stadium on Tuesday afternoon, as that is the latest they can start building the set for the concerts.

Meanwhile ‘Mbappe 9′ shirts went on sale on Thursday for the first time, with one man even running into the shop to get his when it opened. The ‘genuine’ replica costs fans €170, while the non-genuine replica still costs €120, but has been flying off the shelves. As detailed by ESPN, fans will face a four to six-week wait for their tops to arrive. It seems the club is blaming the issue on the high demand, giving suppliers a chance to ship the shirts.

It is something of a surprise that Los Blancos, who are usually so sharp in the commercial department, failed to anticipate such high demand, with at least four months of warning that Mbappe would be arriving at the club.

Los Blancos will open the doors of the stadium in an event expected to come close to the 70,000 fans that came out to see Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009.

Beforehand, president Florentino Perez will greet Mbappe at the training facilities and Mbappe will sign a five-year deal. After the presentation to the fans, Mbappe will appear in front of the media for the first time as a Real Madrid player.

Los Blancos also confirmed shirt number changes: Mbappe will also wear the number nine shirt, with Eduardo Camavinga taking Nacho Fernandez’s number six. Fede Valverde inherits Toni Kroos’ eight, Aurelien Tchouameni takes over 14, Arda Guler 15, and Jesus Vallejo takes the 18 on his return from a loan at Granada, although he is expected to leave.

Mbappe joins on a free from Paris Saint-Germain, seven years after Los Blancos first tried to sign him as a professional from AS Monaco. After he turned Real Madrid down in 2022, it’s a day that has been dreamed of for a long time in the Spanish capital, and Perez will have the satisfaction of finally getting his man. Real Madrid are also expected to make a call on whether he needs surgery the same day after he undergoes a medical.