Page 70 - Soccer360 - Issue 103

Jude Bellingham secured a dream move to Real Madrid
“FOR MOST OF LAST SEASON, IT LOOKED MORE LIKELY THAT JUDE BELLINGHAM WOULD BE WEARING THE SHIRT OF LIVERPOOL IN 2023-24.”
midfielder Ismael Bennacer to a knee injury and the return of loanees like Brahim Diaz and Aster Vranckx to their parent clubs, as the Rossoneri were probably a little short on numbers towards the end of last season.
Yet it was the €20m signing of attacking midfielder Christian Pulisic from Chelsea that stood out the most, not only from an economic viewpoint as having a high-profile United States international plying his trade in the red and black stripes arguably brings in more revenue and interest
from the American market but also as a former Champions League winner with Chelsea in 2021
and as a player with some serious untapped potential. The former Borussia Dortmund midfielder joined the Blues in 2019 after four seasons in the Bundesliga and also lifted the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA World Club Cup during his stint at Stamford Bridge, as well as finishing on the losing end of three consecutive FA Cup finals. But at the same time, there is still a feeling that he hasn’t quite hit the heights he is capable of reaching at club level. Last term did not go so well for Pulisic or for Chelsea for that matter as while the club went through three managers and struggled desperately for results, a knee injury also saw the 24-year-
old find game time hard to come by. Meanwhile, a return of one goal in nine Premier League starts meant owner Todd Boehly was open to offers, meaning a career in West London that looked highly promising at one stage ended in disappointment.
However, Milan represents a new start for a player who should still have many amazing years ahead of him, and his arrival could be a significant boost to Milan’s hopes of regaining their title. His new
coach Pioli could line Pulisic up wide on the right in a front three that also features Rafael Leao and Oliver Giroud this season, and once he returns to full fitness, he can be a major attacking weapon for Milan.
LA LIGA - JUDE BELLINGHAM
Real Madrid paid Borussia Dortmund €103m for Jude Bellingham in June to finally resolve the question of where he would be playing his football in 2023-24. The England star had been coveted
by several Premier League clubs, with Liverpool among his biggest admirers as they looked to reshape their midfield, but the Reds decided early on in the summer that the money involved would be beyond their threshold and would be better spent on other targets. The two Manchester clubs were also reportedly interested, but ultimately
the lure of playing for the Los Blancos was far too great for Bellingham and his desire to move to the Spanish capital soon became abundantly clear.
At just 20 years old, he already has considerable experience and as far as midfielders go, is universally looked upon as one of the best. With a marvellous all-round game, outstanding leadership qualities and the mentality to succeed at the highest level, he adds to what was already a stellar midfield containing legendary veterans such as Luka Modric and Toni Kroos as well as the excellent young trio of Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, and Aurelien Tchouameni. Indeed, he has all the tools to become a Real Madrid legend in his own right.
He got off to the perfect start for his new club too, scoring on his competitive debut in their 2-0
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