‘Dropping Mbappe isn’t an option… Bellingham might have to give way a bit and play in a role that he hasn’t been used to since he joined Real Madrid’ Michael Owen and Guillem Balague attempt to solve the Galacticos puzzle
Former Real Madrid and England striker Owen believes Jude Bellingham's role will be different this season
Real Madrid's attacking superstars celebrate their Club World Cup win in August(Image credit: Getty Images)
Real Madrid's attacking options this season are frankly ridiculous, with Los Blancos having added Kylian Mbappe and Enrick to their squad over the summer. The forwards have joined an already dangerous roster of goal scorers, including Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo.
The burning question now is how – or even if – all of Mbappe, Vinicius, Bellingham, Endrick and Rodrygo can play together. Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti found success last season playing a 4-4-2 diamond, sometimes switching to 4-3-3. But there simply isn’t room for every member of that quintet in his frontline. Spanish football expert Guillem Balague believes that the mistakes of history must be learned.
“The original Galacticos team often featured all of Zidane, Ronaldo, Raul, Figo and Beckham – and Roberto Carlos bombed forward as well,” he recalls. “President Florentino Perez demanded that his gems play every match. It was a thrilling spectacle when it clicked, but they were defensively vulnerable and won little silverware. Ancelotti needs to find a better balance with this team.”
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When all are fit and firing, sacrifices will surely have to be made. One man, however, may be exempt. “Dropping Mbappe isn’t an option,” says Balague. “He arrives as one of the greatest players in the world – a transfer years in the making. He’ll probably start at centre-forward with a Brazilian on either side. Vinicius Jr is too good to leave out on the left-hand side. That leaves Rodrygo and Endrick fighting it out on the right.
“You also have to factor in Real Madrid’s other youngsters, such as Arda Guler, who had a brilliant Euro 2024 with Turkey. He’ll also fight for game time. But Mbappe is nailed on, I believe.”
What, then, of Bellingham, who shone in an advanced central role last season? Having previously starred as a midfielder for Dortmund, the 21-year-old could be moved back alongside the likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Tchouameni and Valverde. That switch would be made smoother by the recent retirement of veteran playmaker Toni Kroos and the declining powers of Modric, who turned 39 in early September.
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“The arrival of Mbappe means Jude might have to give way a bit and play in a role that he hasn’t been used to playing since he joined Real Madrid,” says Owen, who scored 16 times in 45 appearances for the club. “I think he’ll be more box-to-box now – more of a midfielder. His numbers in terms of goals and assists will suffer, but the team might be better for it overall.”
Kylian Mbappe was unveiled at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on July 16, 2024 (Image credit: Getty Images)
Ed is a staff writer at FourFourTwo, working across the magazine and website. A German speaker, he’s been working as a football reporter in Berlin since 2015, predominantly covering the Bundesliga and Germany's national team. Favourite FFT features include an exclusive interview with Jude Bellingham following the youngster’s move to Borussia Dortmund in 2020, a history of the Berlin Derby since the fall of the Wall and a celebration of Kevin Keegan’s playing career.
