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Former Real Madrid and England striker Owen believes Jude Bellingham's role will be different this season
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Real Madrid's attacking options this season are frankly ridiculous, with Los Blancos having added Kylian Mbappe and Enrick to their squad over the summer. The forwards have joined an already dangerous roster of goal scorers, including Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo. The burning question now is how – or even if – all of Mbappe, Vinicius, Bellingham, Endrick and Rodrygo can play together. Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti found success last season playing a 4-4-2 diamond, sometimes switching to 4-3-3. But there simply isn’t room for every member of that quintet in his frontline. Spanish football expert Guillem Balague believes that the mistakes of history must be learned. “The original Galacticos team often featured all of Zidane, Ronaldo, Raul, Figo and Beckham – and Roberto Carlos bombed forward as well, ” he recalls. “President Florentino Perez demanded that his gems play every match. It was a thrilling spectacle when it clicked, but they were defensively vulnerable and won little silverware. Ancelotti needs to find a better balance with this team. ” Video: How Lee Carsley Has ALREADY Fixed England When all are fit and firing, sacrifices will surely have to be made. One man, however, may be exempt. “Dropping Mbappe isn’t an option, ” says Balague. “He arrives as one of the greatest players in the world – a transfer years in the making. He’ll probably start at centre-forward with a Brazilian on either side. Vinicius Jr is too good to leave out on the left-hand side. That leaves Rodrygo and Endrick fighting it out on the right. “You also have to factor in Real Madrid’s other youngsters, such as Arda Guler, who had a brilliant Euro 2024 with Turkey. He’ll also fight for game time. But Mbappe is nailed on, I believe. ” What, then, of Bellingham, who shone in an advanced central role last season? Having previously starred as a midfielder for Dortmund, the 21-year-old could be moved back alongside the likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Tchouameni and Valverde. That switch would be made smoother by the recent retirement of veteran playmaker Toni Kroos and the declining powers of Modric, who turned 39 in early September. The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. “The arrival of Mbappe means Jude might have to give way a bit and play in a role that he hasn’t been used to playing since he joined Real Madrid, ” says Owen, who scored 16 times in 45 appearances for the club. “I think he’ll be more box-to-box now – more of a midfielder. His numbers in terms of goals and assists will suffer, but the team might be better for it overall. ” Trent Alexander-Arnold turns down Liverpool contract offer amid Real Madrid interest: report Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr says Spain should be STRIPPED of World Cup 2030 hosting rights "Endrick's quality is unquestionable - Rodrygo may look to move away from Real Madrid. That's another question that might be answered soon. .. " Brazilian star reveals exclusively to Four Four Two the high hopes on Real Madrid's newest Galactico Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1 *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription Join now for unlimited access Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1 Ed is a staff writer at Four Four Two, working across the magazine and website. A German speaker, he’s been working as a football reporter in Berlin since 2015, predominantly covering the Bundesliga and Germany's national team. Favourite FFT features include an exclusive interview with Jude Bellingham following the youngster’s move to Borussia Dortmund in 2020, a history of the Berlin Derby since the fall of the Wall and a celebration of Kevin Keegan’s playing career. How Oasis changed the Manchester City brand Manchester United: Thomas Tuchel touted to take over from under-fire Erik ten Hag ‘Bellingham has developed that big-game energy, that swagger, that attitude at Real Madrid and belongs with the best players in the world – he’s incredible’ Former Ballon d'Or winner talks Jude Four Four Two is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. ©
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