Jude Bellingham is on the verge of sealing a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid. They are a team with a lot of experience at that position, despite Bellingham being one of the most sought-after midfielders going into this summer’s transfer market. Numerous talented young midfielders are at the disposal of the Spanish powerhouses. The club signed six-year contracts with Aurelien Tchouameni, 23, Eduardo Camavinga, 20, and Federico Valverde, 24, last year. Tchouameni and Camavinga joined for a combined £68 million from Monaco and £35 million, respectively.
Real has the ideal balance of youth and experience in the middle of the pitch with Dani Ceballos, who is one of Ancelotti’s surprise talents of the year at the age of 26, joining Luka Modric, 37, and Toni Kroos, 33, who, despite having a combined age of 70, are still essential to this Real side competing on multiple fronts this season. However, Bellingham’s transfer to Real Madrid seems imminent after the Spanish club agreed to a contract with Borussia Dortmund for an initial sum of £88.5 million. The 19-year-old left his hometown team Birmingham in 2020 and has long fantasized about joining the La Liga giants.
The English player’s transfer to Spain has been agreed to for a set price of €103 million (£88.5 million), with an extra sum of about 30% of that sum. Dortmund has acknowledged this in a statement. The total value of the transaction might be up to £115 million (€133.9 million).
Therefore, how does Bellingham fit in? Is his inclusion in the Real starting lineup even guaranteed? After all, Valverde plays in the middle for Real with Kroos and Modric in the biggest matches, such as their most recent Champions League victories. If Ancelotti stays as Real’s manager for the upcoming season, a significant alteration in the midfield will be difficult to implement because both Kroos and Modric are expected to sign new contract extensions.
“People may believe that they lack the youthful vitality of children, yet the way these three manage the activities is exceptional, valuable, and not available anywhere else in the world,” Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said about Jude Bellingham. “They have something you can only get from experience. Yes, growing older offers you some things, but it also takes some things away from you.”
In reality, it is unlikely that any of Real’s midfielders will leave the team should Bellingham sign. Ancelotti, a big supporter of Ceballos, said earlier this year that he “thinks” the former Arsenal midfielder will sign a new deal in the near future, joining Kroos and Modric.
“Modric, Kroos, and Ceballos are three of the seven Real players who will have their contracts up for renewal in the summer. It’s extremely possible that all three of them will be extended for one year, or even two,” Semra Hunter said. “Bellingham will face intense competition in the midfield in the near future. However, Bellingham is arguably the closest thing to a long-term substitute for the German, since Kroos does not have one in the side. In the short term, there will likely be rotations and perhaps overbooking in the middle. However, Bellingham will undoubtedly get several opportunities down the road to play, start, and establish himself as a regular.”
Bellingham also provides a style of play that the other Real midfielders do not, of course. Due to Real holding the ball longer than Dortmund this season, all of the Real choices have superior passing and chance-creation metrics than Bellingham. Bellingham’s defensive and pressuring statistics outperform those of any Real midfielder as a result. Bellingham does, however, stand out in the offensive department even with decreased ball possession. The England international is more of an offensive alternative than what Ancelotti currently has because he has completed more take-ons, through passes, and shoots than any Real midfielder.
Only time will tell if Bellingham would be better valued if he transferred to the Premier League to continue his football career. But the adolescent has demonstrated recently that he is not dependent on his nation of origin to advance his career. Real is one of the grandest clubs around.
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