- 9 hours ago
Bellingham blasts Mbappe criticism as 'over the top'
Jude Bellingham has come to the defence of his Real Madrid team-mate Kylian Mbappe, saying that the Frenchman is "only going to get better".
Mbappe joined Los Blancos on a free transfer over the summer after his deal ended with Paris Saint-Germain. Considered to be one of the best - if not the best - player in the world, the forward has scored nine goals in 17 appearances for Real Madrid this season, with just four of those coming from open play in La Liga.
As such, the World Cup winner has come in for some staunch criticism. But England international Bellingham, who has equally been struggling this season, has come to his defence. He told a press conference ahead of Real Madrid's Champions League contest with Liverpool: "Kylian's been absolutely great coming in. He gets a lot of criticism and it's a bit over the top, for me."
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"I think if you look at what he's contributed so far, it's really good. It's scary because I see him every day in training and I know he's only going to get better."
Carlo Ancelotti's side have won and lost two of their four opening games in Europe. Domestically, they are in second place to Barcelona, with four points separating the two clubs.
'Mbappe should have joined Man Utd'
It comes after Cyril Linette, a presidential candidate for French football's governing body, stated that Mbappe should have moved to Manchester United over Real Madrid.
The former L'Equipe CEO, who recently lost the presidential election for the LFP, French football's governing body, believes that Mbappe made a mistake by joining Los Blancos.
“I’m not saying that Mbappe is heading towards failure but he joined a club where, in his position, there is a player at least as good as he is," he told RMC. "It makes no sense.
"He will have spent his whole career playing at clubs where there is a left winger at least as good as him, with Neymar at PSG and Vinicius Jr at Real.
“He could have gone to England, tried to get Man Utd going again, for example. There, he could have played in his position and could have written a great story.
"I don’t see what exceptional things he can achieve at Real, who have already done everything without him."