Bellingham 'position change' with Ancelotti 'to change to 4-2-3-1 shape'
According to reports in Spain, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is planning a tactical system change for the upcoming season, with the intention of deploying Jude Bellingham as the team's new number 10. Bellingham recently completed a remarkable £113 million transfer from Borussia Dortmund to the Bernabeu after impressing during his three seasons in the Bundesliga.
Real Madrid, who finished second in LaLiga behind Barcelona and were eliminated by Manchester City in the Champions League semi-finals last season, made Bellingham their priority target for the summer transfer window, successfully fending off interest from Premier League clubs including Liverpool. Despite initially assigning Bellingham the number 5 jersey, previously worn by the legendary Zinedine Zidane, Ancelotti reportedly envisions the young English midfielder in the playmaker role for the upcoming campaign.
Over the past decade, Real Madrid has achieved much of its success utilizing a 4-3-3 formation, with a midfield trio consisting of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, and Casemiro, although the latter departed for Manchester United last summer. Ancelotti still had an abundance of options in midfield last season, with the likes of Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, and Aurelien Tchouameni joining the veteran duo. However, Bellingham's arrival is expected to alter the dynamic in the center of the park.
According to Spanish outlet AS, Ancelotti intends to implement a new 4-2-3-1 formation, with Bellingham operating as an advanced number 10 behind the striker. This tactical switch would require players such as Modric, Kroos, and Valverde to assume additional defensive responsibilities, as they would form a double pivot to protect the English prodigy. Ancelotti hopes that Bellingham's presence in the front four will lead to increased goal-scoring opportunities for Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo, especially with the departure of the prolific Karim Benzema, who recently completed his lucrative move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad.
During his final season with Borussia Dortmund, Bellingham showcased his goal-scoring ability by netting 14 times and providing seven assists. He played a crucial role in Dortmund's pursuit of the Bundesliga title, narrowly missing out on the trophy on the last day of the season with a 2-2 draw against Mainz. Unfortunately, Bellingham was forced to watch from the bench in that decisive match due to a knee injury. Despite the disappointment, the young midfielder finished the campaign as Dortmund's top scorer and held the record for the most successful dribbles among midfielders in Europe's top five leagues.
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