There’s no doubt that Jude Bellingham is the top target of Real Madrid club officials this summer. The Borussia Dortmund man is considered to be one of the best midfielders in world football, despite being aged just 19.
Real Madrid consider Bellingham to be someone that could be at the club for many years to come, and he is ideal for their transfer policy of signing and developing younger players. However, their pursuit of him this summer will be far from easy.
Manchester City and Liverpool are also very interested in signing Bellingham from Dortmund, and Real Madrid could be at a disadvantage if the player decides that he wishes to return to England for his next move.
Contingency measures appear to be in place at Los Blancos should they fail to land their top target. Celta Vigo’s Gabri Veiga has been touted as a possible “Plan B” signing, while they have also recently been linked to Chelsea’s Mason Mount, as per Fichajes.
Mount and Bellingham play together internationally for England, so the pair know each other very well. However, for Real Madrid, should the former be considered as an adequate replacement for Bellingham?
The pair are different kinds of players. Bellingham tends to be more box-to-box in his playstyle, while Mount is more of an attacking midfielder, and has regularly played as a number ten for Chelsea during his time at the club.
However, he has the capability to play in a similar role to Bellingham as part of a 4-3-3 system, which is Real Madrid’s style under Carlo Ancelotti. He ranks very highly in both tackles and blocks, which shows that he has defensive capabilities. However, it is his attacking prowess that makes him an excellent player.
Although he has had a different time of late at Chelsea, it’s easy to forget that he was one of the best attacking midfielders in the Premier League a couple of seasons ago. For Real Madrid, he could be a valuable asset, even if he is not Jude Bellingham.
He looks to be on the move this summer, with lost his place in Graham Potter’s starting eleven. Plus, with his contract expiring at the end of next season, Chelsea could look to cash in, especially if they have another huge spending spree planned. As a result, he could be available on a reduced fee.
The ironic thing is that both Liverpool and Manchester City have been credited with an interest in Mount in recent months, and a move to either would certainly be a boost to Real Madrid in their pursuit of Bellingham.
Mount is a very good footballer, but in terms of Real Madrid, he is not quite as good of a fit for the first team, especially when you compare him to Bellingham. There is little doubt that he’d improve the squad as a whole, but he wouldn’t have the desired impact that his national team counterpart would.
The best possible solution for Real Madrid would be to just land Bellingham in the first place. Although contingency measures should be used, their top target would be the ideal choice as they look to elevate their midfield ahead of next season.
