Jude Bellingham was an incredible bargain for Real Madrid, and Carlo Ancelotti has attested to the brilliance of this 20-year-old British Midfielder. Not many 20-year-old midfielders would be considered a cogent replacement for Karim Benzema, but the player has played a vital goal-scoring role as a number 10 behind two split strikers.
Considering the transfer fee of other young midfielders like Moises Caicedo, Declan Rice and Enzo Fernandes, Jude Bellingham is a big talent and an even bigger bargain for Real Madrid. Jude Bellingham has scored three goals in 2 La Liga matches since his debut for the club.
Jude Bellingham steps up as Karim Benzema’s replacement
Real Madrid signed Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund for a record fee of £115m with add-ons – they made an initial payment of £88.5m, with a six-year deal agreed. Upon the completion of this signing, Jude Bellingham easily became the most expensive British player ever at the age of 19. Despite how pricy he seemed, Real Madrid is now realizing they got a good bargain.
Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid manager, had his say on where he thinks the player ranks as one of the best young midfielders of recent times; “Bellingham is one of them,” the Italian said. “But I’ll stick with my midfielders, who are very good, especially the youngsters.” This statement indicates that Jude Bellingham may be one of the best young midfielders in the world, but he also hinted at the fact that he has other strong midfield candidates.
The manager has found a very good use of the young midfielder. In the absence of a number 9, since Karim Benzema’s departure, Carlo Ancelotti has had to make a few changes to his formation, deploying Bellingham as a number 10 so that he would get the goals behind two split strikers.
When asked why he has not signed a striker this summer, Carlo Ancelotti said, “We believe that the arrival of Bellingham covers the absence of Karim. [Bellingham] is a serious, mature boy with a lot of quality. What he is doing is not surprising to those of us who know him; what is surprising is that he is only 20 years old.”
Karim Benzema left Real Madrid after 14 years with the club
After 14 years of his career at Real Madrid, Karin Benzema’s contract expired at the end of June 2023, and there was no agreement for an extension. Following reports indicating that he had already conveyed his intention to depart for a lucrative transfer from Saudi Arabia to Real Madrid. Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio disclosed that the Frenchman was ready to leave Madrid.
Benzema, 35 at the time of his Madrid departure, joined the club from Lyon in 2009, and he’s gone on to lead a dazzling career since then. During his Madrid time, Karim Benzema won five Champions League titles and four La Liga crowns, among several other silverware and individual awards. In 647 appearances for the club, he scored 353 goals. The end of his glorious Real Madrid career was marked with a long-anticipated Ballon d’Or award.
It was reported by GOAL that Benzema would earn (£346m/$439m) over the course of a two-year contract with Saudi side Al-Ittihad. This season, the Jeddah-based club secured the Saudi Pro League championship, establishing a five-point lead over Al-Nassr, led by Cristiano Ronaldo. Benzema’s agreement includes a role as an ambassador for Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2030 World Cup.
Do you think Jude Bellingham will be able to successfully fill the void Karim Benzema left at Real Madrid? Make sure to let us know in the comments.
