Dani Carvajal lifts lid on what Real Madrid veterans told each other after watching first Jude Bellingham training session
Real Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal has stated that summer signing Jude Bellingham impressed the team's veterans during their pre-season training sessions.
Los Blancos signed Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund for a fee of around €105 million in the recently concluded transfer window. The Englishman has settled in brilliantly, already starting over veterans Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.
Carvajal, who has seen several quality midfielders during his 10-year stint with Real Madrid, has said that Bellingham left a similar impact on the team's old-timers. He said in an interview on documentary series Universo Valdano, hosted by Merengues and Argentina legend Jorge Valdano (as quoted by GOAL):
"We don't want to deify him [Jude Bellingham] too much because the bar is set too high. From the first moment when he started training, we looked at each other in pre-season, the veterans... and we said: 'Phew, he knows what he's doing!' You don't see that he's very fast, that technically he's crazy...
"It's just that he's very complete, he's a finisher, you give him the ball and from the third week he's understood everyone just by watching. He's very intelligent."
In his first four La Liga matches for Real Madrid, Jude Bellingham has played in an advanced role from midfield. He has evidently enjoyed the responsibility, netting five goals and assisting once in those appearances.
The 20-year-old has converted 50% of his chances, while scoring almost triple his expected goals (xG) tally of 1.8. He has completed 89% of his passes and is also averaging 2.3 key passes, 3.5 balls recovered, 3.5 fouls won and 6.0 duels won per game.
Bellingham's displays have helped Real Madrid start the league season with four wins in a row and sit two points clear at the top of the La Liga table. Their next match will see them meet Real Sociedad at the Bernabeu on Sunday, September 17.
Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham has impressed for England during the ongoing international break
Los Blancos are not the only side to have benefitted from Jude Belingham's rich vein of form early in the season. Bellingham has also put in two superb displays for England in their UEFA EURO 2024 qualifiers this month.
The midfielder was one of the better players in the Three Lions' 1-1 draw with Ukraine last week. During his 65-minute stay on the pitch, he completed 83% of his passes, made three successful dribbles and got a shot on target. He also won eight of his 14 duels, while recording four tackles and an interception.
Jude Bellingham impressed once again in England's 3-1 win over Scotland in a hostile Hampden Park on Tuesday, September 12.
The Real Madrid man scored his side's second goal in the 35th minute after Phil Foden had opened the scoring three minutes prior to that. He added an assist in the second half, setting up Harry Kane with nine minutes to go in regulation.
Bellingham also completed 88% of his passes, laid out two key passes, created one big chance and made four successful dribbles. He won a foul and six of his 15 duels, while making a tackle as well.