REAL'S DEADLY TRIDENT

Attackers Mbappe, Bellingham and Vinicius will strike fear in European champs’ renewal

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Kylian Mbappe has finally signed for Real Madrid but fans must wait a few more weeks before a thrilling link-up with Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham becomes a reality.

The French forward will lead one of the most potent forward lines in world football, with a heady blend of skill, speed and dynamism, after his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain at the end of his contract.

A lethal trio of such unequivocal quality brings to mind the new European and Spanish champions' glittering era, when Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema caused havoc.

That vaunted "BBC" trident inspired Real to multiple Champions League triumphs over the past decade, including three in a row from 2016 to 2018.

Real first courted Mbappe in 2012 when they invited the 13-year-old to spend a week with them. During the visit, he was photographed with his idol Cristiano Ronaldo, Real's all-time top scorer.

On June 3, Ronaldo commented on Mbappe's Instagram post, a 2012 photo of the teenager in a Real sweatshirt pointing at the club badge.

"My turn" to have my eyes on you, wrote Ronaldo. "Excited to see you light up the Bernabeu."