How much is Bellingham worth? Real Madrid midfielder top of the transfer value list

Jude Bellingham is a leader. He was while he was at Birmingham City at just 16 years old and showed his talent again at Dortmund where he even ended up wearing the armband, becoming the youngest captain to score a goal in the history of the Champions League. But now comes his biggest challenge so far: leading Real Madrid. The boy from Birmingham lands in Spain with galactic price tag; not only because of the price paid by the club (€103 million) or because of the tremendous future that lies ahead of him (Bellingham turns 20 in June 2023), but because the young man is already, right now, the highest valued midfielder in the world.

Transfermarkt, as the name suggests, is a website specialised in the ever-changing matter of the transfer market, and it rates the new number 5 at €120 million; neither the Barça duo of Gavi and Pedri, nor treble winner, Rodri, make the top spot. As for his three companions in the engine room, Valverde comes second, Camavinga is seventh and Tchouameni makes eighth... But the number one spot out of all the midfielders goes to Jude Bellingham.

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Will Jude Bellingham start for Real Madrid?

Reaching the top valuation spot among Europe’s best coincides with him starting his new era at Real Madrid. This is how Carlo Ancelotti understands it, who has in mind loading responsibility onto the player from the first whistle - of course, with a natural period of adaptation, but with a top-level treatment. He is a footballer who was chosen by Madrid to make a difference and he will take on that role from the very first minute.

His starting position will not be because of an obvious hole in the side, but because of the genuine influence that the player can bring to the tactical system designed for the 2023-24 season. On July 10, the date on which the ‘non-internationals’ will return to work (Jude recovered from his knee injury during the recent break), the young English international will be put to the test.

Carlo is set to change his tactical system

The comings and goings have fattened up the squad and most of all in midfield, which now consists of up to seven players: Bellingham, Valverde, Camavinga, Tchouameni, Kroos, Modric and Ceballos, while losing weight in attack (Vinicius, Rodrygo, Joselu and Brahim). Hence, as explained previously by AS, Carletto is eyeing a switch of tactics for the coming year.

The head coach is going to go from the 4-3-3 of last year to a 4-2-3-1, where the differential figure must be Bellingham: the player that plays in between the lines, one that acts as a shuttle for Vini and Rodrygo and, above all, maintains an incessant attacking drive in the team.

Bellingham’s impressive year at Dortmund without Haaland

Bellingham, without Haaland, not only met expectations in Dortmund, but exceeded them hugely. In 2022-23, he climbed several steps and made a massive goal-scoring leap forward: 14 of his 28 goals as a professional came last year. He finished the season with seven assists and plenty of decisive participations in important games: he was the midfielder with the most dribbles in the five top leagues (88), Dortmund’s top scorer, as well as being the top dribbler in the side (384).

Behind his stats is his impressive running capability, which placed him in the top-10 of sprints (861) of a Bundesliga in which he was MVP for the season. With Bellingham, Madrid have found themselves an authoritative footballer and Ancelotti, who has taken on the task of the tactical readjustment, will have in Jude the perfect tool to make his new machine work from the start.

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