This was a vital transfer for Los Merengues. Real Madrid have spent a club-record teenager transfer fee of €103M by bringing in Borussia Dortmund and England sensation Jude Bellingham on a 6-year deal.
The youth revolution of Real Madrid has just entered its new phase.
Real Madrid have added another young, exciting player in the form of Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham on a club-record €103M fee for a teenager, ensuring the future of the Madrid midfield is safely in the hands of the rising generation of superstars. And, as I’ve said a few times now, this is a brilliant move all round.
Not only have Madrid picked up the hottest and youngest superstar in Europe with Bellingham being a global sensation at just 19 years old, but they’ve also added one of the most prolific midfielders to their already world-class midfield.
In the 2022-23 season with his German club team Borussia Dortmund and his international side England, Jude Bellingham started 47 matches, scored 15 goals, 14 club goals, registered 6 assists, led Dortmund in scoring, helped Dortmund finish 2nd place in the most competitive Bundesliga season in 16 years, helped Dortmund reach the Round of 16 in the Champions League for the first time in two years, and started all 5 games for England at the 2022 World Cup.
If these stats don’t seem very impressive, just remember that he did all that as a 19 year old!
His journey from being a young, scrawny 16-year-old phenom at Birmingham City, saving the club from financial collapse through his on-field performances, getting sold for €30M to Borussia Dortmund at just 17 years old, becoming Dortmund’s best player at 18, and now joining Real Madrid as their record signing at just 19 is utterly insane.
Normally, you’d fear for a kid in Bellingham’s situation as the fame, money, wealth, prestige, clout, and general notoriety that comes with being one of the most hyped, beloved, and famous teenagers in the world could get to his head and destroy his form.
However, with Bellingham sounding like a season veteran in his introductory conference for Real Madrid, I’ve got no worries whatsoever about this kid.
He’s going to be one of the most professional, dedicated, hardworking, and respectful players in that Real Madrid side as he vowed to learn from all the legends, such as Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Dani Carvajal, Thibault Courtois, Carlo Ancelotti, etc., around him.
And that’s rare for a player in such a privileged position at such a young age to say and mean (which I believe Bellingham does).
Speaking of Real Madrid legends, this upcoming season is going to be the Las Crusade (Indiana Jones reference) for the 2010 generation. Or, as I really should say, one of the greatest generations in Real Madrid history.
Luka Modric (38), Toni Kroos (36), Danu Carvajal (34), and Thibault Courtois (31) are now all over the age of 30, while Carlo Ancelotti (64) has publicly stated that his time with Madrid is most likely over after the 2023/24 season with the heavy interest from the Brazil National Team mounting.
Meanwhile, Modric and Kroos have just one year left on their contracts, Carvajal has two years left, and Courtois has three more years left. If I had to say one person who is likely to get a new contract after their current deal, it would be Thibault Courtois as he’s the youngest of the 2010’s core and has been a starter at Madrid for the least amount of time of the four names I mentioned.
Also, I don’t see why Madrid would start a 39-year-old Modric, 37-year-old Kroos, or a 36-year-old Carvajal in the future when they have young megastars coming up.
In the last 3-4 years, Madrid have signed and integrated Fede Valverde (24), Eduardo Camavinga (20), Aurelien Tchouameni (23), Eder Militao (25), Rodrygo (22), Vini Jr. (22), and Andriy Lunin (24) into the roster and have won La Liga titles, Champions League titles, FIFA Club World Cup titles, and Copa Del Rey titles with them, while Jude Bellingham (19) is the latest young superstar to join Los Merengues.
Yet, Bellingham is probably the brightest of these stars to join, and I think he will be the most successful too.
That’s how good he is, and how great this move is for him and Madrid alike.
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