Bellingham to Real Madrid: how will the Los Blancos overhaul their star studded midfield?

Dortmund's prodigious English midfielder, Jude Bellingham, has moved to Real Madrid for almost £115 million, making him the most expensive footballer in the history of the Three Lions. 

Real Madrid, currently going through a transition phase, has let go of many players this season. And with the arrival of Bellingham, it seems that Real Madrid is finally getting past the era of their legendary midfield duo, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.

With Aurelien Tchouameni, Federico Valverde, and Eduardo Camavinga already in the team, the addition of Bellingham has been considered by many to be the inception of another legendary midfield trio by Madrid, following in the footsteps of Kroos, Modric, and Casemiro, a trio that is arguably considered to be the greatest in football history. However, things are not as simple as they seem to be.

Toni Kroos and Luka Modric have both extended their contracts till 2024 and, despite their old age, are quite likely to start for most of the Real Madrid games, as their expertise and experience are still valuable for the way Madrid plays. 

However, they will see a significant reduction in their playing time in the process as Real Madrid prepares for a transition.

Camavinga, despite being a midfielder by trade, has astonished everyone since he started playing stellar knocks in the right-back position. 

Bellingham will not face any competition from him because their natural positions differ in the field, and Camavinga will be deployed mostly as a left-back in the days to come. 

Bellingham, being a versatile midfielder, is quite adept at playing in a multitude of positions on the field. Still, he is most comfortable as a number eight, given his exquisite technical and passing skills.

Real Madrid can, at times, start the midfield trio of Bellingham, Tchouameni, and Kroos, with Bellingham replacing Modric as the veteran Ballon d'Or-winning midfielder can be rested for a lot of unimportant fixtures to keep his legs fresh for the important matches of a season. 

Although Real Madrid lines up differently this season, Bellingham is likelier to get a lot of playing time, often not as a starter but as an impact sub.

Real Madrid snatched the most talented midfielder away from the market, and their midfield for the future, on paper, looks as good as it gets. 

However, it will be interesting to see whether the young Englishman can replicate the exploits of Kroos and Modric in the days to come.

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