Spanish journalist Jose Alvarez claims Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham would have no place in the Barcelona team despite his extraordinary start at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Bellingham has been one of Europe’s standout performers in the early stages of this season. The English midfielder has bagged six goals and one assist in six games across competitions.
The 20-year-old’s latest goal was a vital 90+4th minute winner in Real Madrid’s 1-0 win against Bundesliga side Union Berlin in the UEFA Champions League. The former Borussia Dortmund youngster has followed in Cristiano Ronaldo’s footsteps in becoming just the second player to score four goals in his first four games for the club.
However, Alvarez has boldly claimed that Bellingham wouldn’t get into the Barcelona side. He insists that Frenkie de Jong and Joao Felix are better than the Englishman, telling El Chiringuito TV (via Barca Universal):
“Jude Bellingham would have no place at Barca. I wouldn’t swap him for De Jong or Joao Felix.”
De Jong, 26, has long been regarded as one of Europe’s best ball-playing midfielders. He’s been at Camp Nou since 2019 and has been a mainstay in the Blaugrana side ever since. The Dutch star has started this season strongly with one goal in six games across competitions, controlling games from the middle of the park.
Meanwhile, Felix, 23, was held in similar regard to Bellingham during his teenage years at Benfica. He won the Golden Boy award in 2019 and many backed him to become a future world-class talent.
The Portuguese attacker has struggled at Atletico Madrid over the years, perhaps not clicking with Diego Simeone’s playing style. However, he’s got back to his best at Barcelona since arriving on loan in the summer. He has bagged three goals and one assist in three games across competitions.
Alvarez’s comments are debatable given Real Madrid’s latest superstar is wreaking havoc both in La Liga and in Europe. He is also one of the favorites to win the Golden Boy award next month.
Barcelona wonderkid Pedri expressed his admiration for Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham
Pedri appears to be a fan of Jude Bellingham as he revealed that he watches him play. The England international was still plying his trade at Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga at the time. The young Spaniard said (via the aforementioned source):
“Bellingham, for example, is very good. I like to watch his matches.”
The English superstar lit up the Bundesliga last season with consistently impressive performances for BvB. He bagged 14 goals and seven assists in 42 games across competitions. He became the youngest captain in history to score in a UEFA Champions League game.
Bellingham is of a different ilk to the likes of Barcelona duo Pedri and De Jong. He’s a more physical attacking midfielder who has a striker’s mentality which has been on display at Real Madrid.