♦ Ancelotti insists Mbappe arrival will not impact Bellingham
♦ England star played in an advanced role during debut season at Madrid
♦ La Liga side set to face Chelsea in pre-season friendly on Wednesday
Carlo Ancelotti has insisted that Kylian Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid will not affect Jude Bellingham, despite both players potentially fighting for similar spaces on the pitch.
Mbappe joined Madrid this summer / Diego Souto/GettyImages
The French star made the highly-anticipated move to the Spanish capital this summer, joining Madrid as they look to defend their La Liga and Champions League titles. His arrival, albeit exciting, has raised questions over the role of Bellingham, who played in an advanced central position throughout his debut season at Madrid, scoring a career high 23 goals as a result.
Mbappe joins a talented group of attackers at Madrid – with Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo amongst the capable goalscorers at Ancelotti’s disposal.
However, the boss has reassured fans that Bellingham won’t be compromised by Mbappe.
Bellingham will remain vital for Madrid / Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES Sportfoto/GettyImage
“Nothing changes for him. Nothing changes,” Ancelotti said ahead of Madrid’s pre-season clash with Chelsea. “The first season, he surprised a lot, because he showed fantastic quality, a really mature guy. The next season will not be different.
“He is going to be one of the best players that we have, supporting the team a lot with his quality. This is an opinion, but Bellingham played really well at the Euros. England played really well, they reached the final and were close to winning it.”
Madrid will face Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea in a pre-season friendly on Wednesday, ahead of their UEFA Super Cup clash with Atalanta on 14 August. They will then look ahead to the new La Liga season, with their first game of the campaign coming against Mallorca on 18 August.