Real Madrid may not have signed Kylian Mbappe in this summer transfer window but Jude Bellingham's arrival denotes they have recruited one of the rising stars in world football. (More Football News)
The English midfielder is shining on the club and international level and with no Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in Europe this time around, the former Borussia Dortmund player is ready to take centrestage.
With the likes of Vinicius Junior, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe still hovering around, Bellingham's quality isn't far behind. The Englishman was instrumental in his country's recent 3-1 win over Scotland in an international friendly.
Moreover, on the club level, Bellingham has scored five goals in his last four games and there's still more to come.
“For a young man to have that kind of football brain, I love watching him,” said former Liverpool great Graeme Souness, now a TV commentator. “Jude Bellingham is the real deal.”
For a 20-year-old to dominate Europe, it's no big feat. Bellingham joined Real Madrid in the summer from Dortmund for a fee that could reach $139 million. With the Los Blancos without the services of now-departed Karim Benzema, Bellingham's goals could prove crucial in their bid to pursuit the La Liga title this season.
Bellingham is at a club that has been blessed with midfielders. Camavinga and Tchouameni are still raw, Kroos and Modric are ageing and there's Ceballos as well. Carlo Ancelotti though knows, who he has to rely on, when his team is in need of goals.
"He (Bellingham) can score 15 goals without a problem,” said Ancelotti after the Englishman scored the winner against Getafe.
"He stands out because he moves very well without the ball. This is his main quality. He breaks lines, has a great movement, constant, that’s why he scores so many goals.”
Given Jude Bellingham's form, Gareth Southgate's England have to be one of the favourites to win the prestigious tournament and finally answer the calls to 'it's coming home'.
