The England international is expected to soon join the Spanish powerhouse at Santiago Bernabeu, although his status as the team's starting player is uncertain.

After publicly declaring his desire to join Real Madrid, Jude Bellingham will soon be a member of the Spanish club's roster. Borussia Dortmund is demanding a staggering €150 million (£132m/$166m) as the transfer fee. However, we are in Madrid, where disputes of this nature frequently find resolution. There will be a massive exchange of cash.
After Liverpool dropped out of the competition more than a month ago, we were pretty well guaranteed to win. There is a talented young squad, a top-tier management, plus the intangible prestige of wearing the legendary white jersey that Madrid can provide. Bellingham will join a team that routinely challenges for the Champions League and the La Liga title. He may take advantage of working with greats like Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.

Playing for a major club will help him get notoriety and cement his reputation as a top player in the globe. Everything seems great on paper, and it probably will be great in practice as well.

However, there are details that need to be worked out. Madrid already has at least five midfielders capable of starting, plus a likely No. 10 if the manager decides to swap formations. They also have an unbeatable, well-balanced central midfield. Indeed, Madrid's success in the middle third of the field cannot be held responsible for their second-place result in La Liga.

Therefore, the Englishman is not a natural fit. Probably one of Kroos or Modric will have to be dropped from the starting lineup, and he may even need to leapfrog the exciting Fede Valverde to earn a starting spot. These are obvious choices for the future, but Madrid is a club that lives in the now and now.

Everything will fall into place, but can you explain how? GOAL analyzes Bellingham's potential 2018–19 roles for Los Blancos and the positions in which he will not be used.

But there are still some details to work out. In the middle of the field, Madrid has at least five starters and a likely No. 10 if the manager decides to change formations. Their midfield is incredibly well-balanced and difficult to stop. The fact that Madrid finished second in La Liga has nothing to do with how well they played in the middle of the field.

So, the Englishman isn't a natural fit anywhere. He will likely have to displace either Kroos or Modric from the starting lineup, and he may even need to leapfrog the promising Fede Valverde. Long-term, these are easy choices to make, but Madrid is a team that lives in the moment.

Everything will fall into place in the end, but how exactly? GOAL analyzes where Bellingham will, will not, and could potentially play for Los Blancos in the upcoming season.

The positional oddities

The concept of a "perfect fit" in professional football is a myth. Football is more complicated than that, despite the positive feelings that come with the escalating rumor mill and eagerness of fans (and the several online tactical gurus on Twitter).

There are a few notable omissions. You could probably put Harry Kane, Karim Benzema, Erling Haaland, or Kylian Mbappe in any starting lineup up front and they'd all do OK. Modric and Kevin de Bruyne are interchangeable in the middle of the field.

However, most players are shaped by a certain system. The roles of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for Real Madrid and Barcelona, and Mohammed Salah and Sadio Mane and Liverpool, as inside forwards, come to mind.

And that might cause issues for Bellingham. The talent is there for him to succeed at Santiago Bernabeu; he is already one of the world's top midfielders. However, he is currently a very particular type of footballer. He's a great ball handler and a patient passer who thrives on getting into the final third quickly to make plays.

That's just not like Madrid. Bellingham is more than just a plug-and-play footballer for this squad. However, there are several setups that might bring out his greatest performance right away.

4-3-3 with Modric and Camavinga

Bellingham would be wise to study under Modric, one of the most experienced midfielders in the league. The two couldn't seem more different from one another, but their playing styles are very similar. Both are dangerous in the final part of the field and enjoy taking on and beating their man with the ball.

The two of them together in the middle would be devastating. While Modric would play the role of glue, Bellingham would handle all of the ball advancement. With Eduardo Camavinga at No. 6, this Madrid midfield appears to be as well-rounded as it gets.

It would require Kroos to be sacrificed, though. The German's defensive shortcomings are becoming a major worry, and his goal-scoring productivity has decreased, but he is still an outstanding passer. It's not like Ancelotti to do this, but the three of them seem to be Madrid's greatest players.

4-3-3 with Kroos and Modric

Because of his versatility, Bellingham was given the No. 22 jersey despite being a natural No. 4, No. 8, or No. 10 in the lineup. Bellingham has the versatility to play any of the three forward positions, but he may be underutilized in the middle of the field.

Even more so, Modric is not one. The Croatian, who is still a midfield master, has started to become a defensive weakness for Los Blancos because of his inability to play 90 minutes. Similarly, Kroos isn't a conventional No. 6 in the mold that Madrid requires.

Maybe it doesn't even matter though. Because of how powerful they would be with the ball, this trio could get by with minimal effort off of it. This would instantly become one of the most interesting midfields in the world, with Modric and Kroos pinginging the ball around with Bellingham moving into more advanced areas.

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4-3-3 with Valverde and Tchouameni

Despite their quality, Modric and Kroos are reaching the end of their careers. They're not reliable enough to play twice or even three times a week after they hit their mid-30s. This has been demonstrated by Ancelotti this season, with Modric in particular witnessing a significant decrease in playing time in La Liga, especially down the stretch.

Fortunately, Madrid has two additional young players who show promise in the middle of the field. Valverde has had a breakout season, scoring goals at a far higher pace and becoming a regular starter, albeit on the right wing. The natural midfielder, though, is expected to return to his native position.

Tchouameni, meanwhile, was Madrid's big-money addition from last summer and is expected to start in the future at defensive midfielder. Although it's possible that Ancelotti won't start them all together right away, it seems likely that he'll experiment with the trio throughout the upcoming campaign.

As a No.10

Throughout the course of this season, Ancelotti has toyed with a 4-2-3-1 formation. This was typically done so that Rodrygo and Valverde could play together and the Brazilian could play in his favored No.10 position.

He may return to this formation in the future to put Rodrygo in an advantageous position. It's reasonable to assume that Rodrygo wouldn't be thrilled to learn that the formation optimized for his performance was constructed with someone else in mind. Despite the kid's impressive influence, Bellingham is superior.

Bellingham was used by Gareth Southgate as a de facto No.10, or at least a very advanced No.8, for large chunks of time throughout the World Cup. To a significant extent, Dortmund has done the same thing, urging the player to begin games in a more advanced position so that he may contribute to playmaking in the attacking third.

Considering Ancelotti has Camavinga, Kroos, Modric, and Tchouameni battling for playing time in the midfield, playing their big money signing in the No.10 position is also a viable option.

On the bench

Bellingham might also be benched if Madrid decides to go with a different starting lineup. Ancelotti has a history of being hesitant to start new recruits, especially in the middle of the field. For example, despite consistently strong play at his natural position, Camavinga was benched and played on the wing for months.

Meanwhile, Tchouameni, who was thrust into the starting lineup early in the season due to injury, has being steadily phased out. So, as a team, Madrid has no qualms about sitting out underperforming players or introducing them too soon into the starting lineup.

If both Modric and Kroos are healthy, and Ancelotti would rather play with a more traditional defensive midfielder, Bellingham may have to wait for his opportunity to present itself.

The verdict

Bellingham shouldn't be Madrid's first choice right away. There is no questioning the midfielder's drive or talent, but this is a team with limited wiggle room, and rushing a guy who isn't ready is a gamble.

Although talented, Bellingham may not be a perfect match for the Madrid system. He's not a big passer and prefers to dribble the ball to control the game. The team's cohesiveness is what sells Madrid to potential buyers. Due in large part to their lack of ego and readiness to release the ball, Modric, Kroos, and co. have been successful for years.

Bellingham will, without a doubt, take note. He's just too good to pass up. Even a manager as tactically rigid as Ancelotti should be able to figure out how to make the most of this game-changer's attacking and dribbling prowess. However, this is a player who requires interim protection.

Ancelotti has been hesitant to make changes to Madrid's midfield because of how well it works. This is not without precedence. Tchouameni was intended to take over for Casemiro right away. Instead, he has fallen out of favor and even been the subject of some absurd transfer rumors in recent weeks.

The position of the France international serves as a warning. This is exactly what may happen if a player is rushed into the Madrid lineup before he is ready.

Reportedly, Bellingham will sign a contract that will last until 2029. He's a young player Madrid hopes will lead them into the future. His present-day impact is undervalued.