Real Madrid apparently harbour regrets about signing Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer this summer following reports that he has been named as a reasonable suspect in an alleged rape case.
The 25-year-old was linked with a move to Los Blancos for the best part of three years before finally arriving from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, after the French giants rejected two nine-figure bids for him in 2021.
Mbappe failed to hit the ground running in the Spanish capital, although he now boasts a respectable record of seven goals and one assist in 11 matches for Carlo Ancelotti's side, scoring five in his last five La Liga appearances.
However, the France international - who was omitted from October's France squad following his recovery from a muscular problem - has now been rocked by accusations of rape at a party he hosted in Sweden, which he publicly blasted as "fake news" on social media.
The attacker's club are said to have held a crisis meeting in response to the allegations that Mbappe categorically denies, and speaking to Colininterview, journalist Romain Molina claimed that Real Madrid wish that they had not brought him to the Spanish capital after all.
Real Madrid "gutted" by Mbappe displays
"They regret bringing him in. I guarantee that. I have spoken about it off (the record)," Molina said. "It hasn't been at all what they were expecting. It was a whim of [Florentino] Perez. It was only Perez that wanted him.
"[Perez] has always liked the big players. He also has a filial relationship with him (Mbappe). The club are gutted, firstly with his level (of performances), which is not at all at the expected levels, in the dressing room it isn't great, that isn't necessarily Mbappe's fault though.
"I think Real have made a big mistake. He didn't have a pre-season, he played instantly, unlike (Jude) Bellingham. When you see how (Mbappe) is physically at 25, you can't explain it to me. The physical drop-off that he has had at 25, I have never seen that."
Mbappe returned from a muscular problem in time to play Real's final game before the international break - a 2-1 triumph over Villarreal - but he was left out of the France squad in order to enjoy two weeks of uninterrupted recovery time.
As Les Bleus competed against Belgium and Israel in the Nations League, Mbappe is said to have hosted an exclusive party at a luxury Stockholm hotel, but his entourage have labelled the criminal accusations against him "completely false and irresponsible".
What has Ancelotti said about Mbappe situation?
Head coach Ancelotti also downplayed the situation ahead of Real's La Liga clash with Celta Vigo this weekend, insisting that the Frenchman was unaffected and "happy" as he gets back to full fitness.
"He has taken advantage of this break to improve his condition, to recover from his injuries. His condition has improved a lot, he is very well, happy, eager to play tomorrow and to be important for the team," Ancelotti said.
"These fifteen days have helped him a lot, because he is a different player to the one he was before the break. We have worked a little with the players and the break has helped us a lot in this sense.
"On a tactical level, his position has not changed from how he has played in recent games. He may vary his position a little more with Vinicius on the left wing, but we have focused on physical work and, I repeat, this break has been very good for him and I see him doing very well.
"The rest is speculation. I see him happy, he is not affected and eager to contribute to the team. I see him close to 100%, he is doing very well, it is a pleasure to watch him train."
Mbappe signed a five-year contract until the summer of 2029 with Real Madrid, who lie three points adrift of leaders Barcelona in the La Liga table but can draw level with the Blaugrana with victory over Celta on Saturday evening.
