How will Real Madrid line up for 2023/24 with Jude Bellingham?
Real Madrid will switch from the usual 4-3-3 to 4-3-1-2 with Bellingham playing in an advanced position behind the front two.
A new-look Real Madrid heads into the new season - one that is partly recognizable to last season’s, but with an entirely new system. With a number of players leaving and others arriving and the squad deemed closed, Carlo Ancelotti has redesigned his squad for 2023-24. From the 4-3-3 system that yielded six titles, Carletto’s Real Madrid version 2.0 will switch to a 4-3-1-2. The changes are part of a generational shift, a rejuvenation process in which the club has been working for the past few years. And the icing on the cake of this new tactical drawing will be Jude Bellingham.
Bellingham took the number 5 shirt but will play as a No.10. That’s the idea that Ancelotti and his staff are working on with the England international. Bellingham ended last season with 14 goals for Dortmund and his goal-scoring ability is something which Ancelotti wants to capitalize on. Where the goals come from will be a key issue for Madrid in the new campaign as they will be without an out-and-out centre-forward. Without Benzema and with Joselu as reserve striker, the idea is for Vinicius and Rodrygo to lead the attack. The two Brazilians head into the new campaign on the back of decent figures last season - 23 goals for Vini and 19 for Rodrygo. They will be tasked with taking the baton from Benzema, provide goals and continue taking steps forward, with Bellingham deployed in a supporting role just behind them.
Madrid without a striker
The coach’s initial intention, was for Harry Kane to be his new Karim, with Havertz as a complementary option. Financially, signing one or both of them was never really a viable option for Madrid. The focus now is already set in 2024, when the club will mount a new bid for Mbappé. Signing the French star will be a hugely expensive operation and besides, there is no point in signing a centre-forward now if they could clash with Mbappé when he arrives. For that reason Ancelotti was told that he would not be able to sign a No.9 this season which is why he has had to perform a tactical redesign.
Madrid’s midfield, the team’s engine room will be relatively unchanged. The uncertainty surrounding Kroos, Modric and Ceballos has been resolved with all three agreeing new terms. With Bellingham’s arrival, along with Camavinga, Valverde and Tchoaumeni, Ancelotti will have seven midfielders to choose from. The season will be long and there will be minutes for everyone, but the idea is to gradually shift towards a more youthful midfield when the veteran players are phased out.
Changing of the guard
That’s not to say that Modric and Kroos won’t play key roles - they will, otherwise they would not have signed contract extensions, but from what Ancelotti’s star XI is suspected to look like, there is a clear sense of a changing of the guard. The future of the midfield is shaping up with Tchouameni as pivot, Bellingham in an advanced position, flanked by Valverde on the right and Camavinga on the left. A midfield with a bright future and, above all, muscle and physical strength.
As the game evolves, Madrid’s squad will evolve with it - that’s the plan which also explains the profile of players that the club team has been incorporating season by season until the transition is complete. Modric and Kroos will still have a crucial role to play, especially on difficult nights where their experience will be key, but their role a priori will be more complementary and focused on reserving energies so that they can be involved at specific moments. More importantly, the new formation, with a four-man midfield, will allow Ancelotti the chance to mix and match players, resting some of them throughout the season. Even the recently-renewed Ceballos will have opportunities.
The defence is the area that will suffer the least changes - Ancelotti will count on his three first-choice players, with recent arrival Fran García slotting in at left-back with Mendy in reserve (the plan is to sign Alphonso Davies next summer). The opposite flank will be, as usual, for Carvajal, with Militão partnering Alaba in the middle. Nacho and Rüdiger will be on standby to come in when any of the back four are injured or suspended. The new-look Real Madrid will get into gear on 10 July, confronting the new season with a radical new system.