Jude Bellingham’s anticipated move to Real Madrid is creating waves in the football community. The young Englishman, renowned for his versatile skills and remarkable adaptability, has attracted the attention of Los Blancos. But where will he fit in this star-studded lineup? We will delve into the potential formations and roles Bellingham might assume in Real Madrid’s tactical setup, so keep reading!
Real Madrid’s New Jewel: Unravelling Jude Bellingham’s Potential Role
Bellingham’s signing for Real Madrid was one of the least surprising acquisitions in the summer transfer window. The Los Blancos have expressed interest in Bellingham for quite some time, and the player has always made it known that when he leaves Dortmund, it will be to join only one club – Real Madrid.
However, despite Real Madrid fancying Bellingham for a long time and going all in for him, the English midfielder will have to fight to earn a starting spot in Carlo Ancelotti’s first team.
Ancelotti, on the other hand, will be spoiled for choice. Much like a gambling enthusiast presented with a list of top-rated casinos, the Italian manager will have tonnes of excellent options to choose from, be they established casinos or exciting new gambling sites.
The decorated coach will now be able to pick the tried-and-tested duo of Modric-Kroos or throw Jude Bellingham into the mix. The likes of Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, and Federico Valverde will give Ancelotti even more options and, unfortunately, make Bellingham’s starting position more difficult to obtain.
So, let’s analyze where the 19-year-old might play in Real’s star-studded midfield and whose spot he might take.
Might Have to Wait to Make the Starting Line-Up
Ancelotti recently said that even though Modric and Kroos had a combined age of 70, they brought to the team something no other player could. The Italian maintained that the Modric-Kroos-Valverde combination controlled matches, unlike any other midfield trio in the world, claiming the three were priceless, and you couldn’t buy what they offered on the market.
The fact Luka Modric has just extended his Real Madrid contract speaks volumes about how much the people at the club trust him. Kroos, Valverde, Tchouameni, and Camavinga are going nowhere too.
In other words, Jude Bellingham will probably need to get used to making cameo appearances at first. However, Real invested so much money in getting him, and, realistically, the Madrid side can get a maximum of one or two seasons out of Modric and Kroos. So, Bellingham was brought in for a reason and will get his starting spot sooner or later.
Will Probably Replace Kroos
When you compare Bellingham to other Real midfielders, his attributes are closest to those of Toni Kroos. That suggests he was probably brought in to first be included in the rotation with the German and then replace him.
Considering that Bellingham is a smart lad, he was likely aware of this and knew that this is the Real Madrid modus operandi—the club buys young players and develops them for the long term.
Therefore, if all goes to plan, we should be seeing Bellingham in a Real Madrid shirt in the next decade or longer. He only needs to look at his midfield partners to see that it is possible.