Carlo Ancelotti praised Jude Bellingham, saying the English midfielder has been tasked with replacing star attacker Karim Benzema.
The international from England has already scored three goals in his first two games for his new team, sweeping La Liga by storm. Karim Benzema departed Madrid to join Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, and Madrid has not yet found a successor.
Ancelotti has modified his formation this season to use Bellingham as a number 10 directly behind two split strikers in place of a traditional number nine.
Asked about Madrid’s refusal to sign a striker after Benzema’s exit, Ancelotti told Radio Serie A: “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.”
The player himself is enjoying his time at Los Blancos as he recently claimed that he is ’10 times better’ at Real Madrid after an apparently acrimonious Borussia Dortmund exit.
On August 25, Ancelotti’s team will play in their next La Liga match against Celta.