Ancelotti: “Bellingham? I’ll stick with Tchouameni, Valverde and Camavinga at Real Madrid"

Suraj Radia

• 6 Jan 2023 11:21 CST
• 2 min read

Carlo Ancelotti has admitted his admiration for Jude Bellingham and Enzo Fernandez but insists he is happy with his current young midfield, amid speculation linking the players to Real Madrid.

Madrid are believed to have identified Bellingham as a priority target and the Spanish side are expected to battle it out this summer with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City to sign the Dortmund midfielder.

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Fernandez, meanwhile, has enjoyed a dramatic rise in his stock, with Chelsea considering activating the €120 million release clause in the contract he signed with Benfica when he joined them from River Plate last summer.

Both players were standout performers for their respective countries at the 2022 World Cup but Ancelotti believes Real are satisfied with their midfield core of Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni.

"Bellingham showed at the World Cup that he is a great midfielder, but there are many young midfielders coming through," the Real manager said. "A lot of young players did well, like Enzo with Argentina, and Pedri and Gavi had a very nice tournament.

"There are a lot of young midfielders emerging but I'll stay with mine. We have very good ones, Tchouameni, Camavinga, Valverde."

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While Madrid boast arguably the strongest midfield in world football, the La Liga side could lose veteran duo Toni Kroos and Luka Modric when their deals expire at the end of the season.

Real are hoping to keep hold of their senior stars for at least another year but the club are also aware that they will need to be replaced eventually, having allowed Casemiro to join Manchester United last summer after the arrival of Tchouameni.

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Bellingham is understood to be the club’s top target but Fernandez is being considered as an alternative should the 19-year-old prove unobtainable, with Dortmund seeking a fee of around €125m.

While Ancelotti may be satisfied with his young trio at the club, the departure of Modric and Kroos would see Real requiring depth in midfield, particularly with Valverde often featuring in a more advanced role on the right flank.

Real paid €100m to sign Tchouameni last summer, with the Frenchman being Madrid’s only outlay in the summer, insinuating that the club are willing to splash out on a single player if they believe it to be the right signing.

With Bellingham thought to have been approved by the club’s scouts and initial contact having been made with the England star’s representatives, it is likely that Madrid will push to sign him even if Ancelotti appears content with his current options in midfield.