“My partner” - Jude Bellingham sends message to Real Madrid teammate after 4-1 win against Espanyol
Jude Bellingham has hailed his Real Madrid teammate Federico Valverde on social media. The Uruguayan midfielder played a key role in Los Blancos' 4-1 La Liga win over Espanyol on Saturday (September 21).
Valverde arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2016 and has established himself as a first-team regular in the last few campaigns. The 26-year-old has already amassed 266 appearances for the La Liga champions to date, registering 23 goals and 24 assists.
Despite the presence of a few stalwarts in the team over the years, the Uruguayan has held his own and is now one of Carlo Ancelotti's most important players. Valverde scored three goals and set up eight more from 54 games across competitions last season for Real Madrid.
This season, the Uruguayan has played every minute of every game, signifying his importance to Los Blancos' plans. He has also shown a budding relationship with Jude Bellingham, and the two worked together to help the La Liga champions secure three points on Saturday.
Valverde had a passing accuracy of 92% (73/79) against Espanyol. He won one out of two tackles and two out of four duels. The midfielder shared a picture on social media after the game and Bellingham responded with a two-word comment that said it all about their relationship.
"My Partner," the Englishman wrote on Instagram.
Jude Bellingham, meanwhile, was outstanding for Real Madrid last season. The La Liga champions reportedly paid Borussia Dortmund €103m for the 21-year-old last summer and it was certainly money well spent. Bellingham registered 23 goals and 13 assists from 42 games across competitions as Los Blancos won the league, the Champions League, and the Supercopa de Espana.
Bellingham has had to alter his gameplay this season following Kylian Mbappe's arrival. While he hasn't hit the heights of the previous campaign, the Englishman still remains decisive for Real Madrid, as evident in Saturday's win. He created three chances while winning two out of two tackles and six out of seven duels.
Jude Bellingham's partnership with Federico Valverde could be key to the club's success this season.
Can Federico Valverde replace Toni Kroos at Real Madrid?
Toni Kroos was indispensable for Real Madrid last season but shocked the world by announcing his retirement at the end of the campaign. The German midfielder has appeared 465 times across competitions for the La Liga giants in his career, registering 28 goals and 99 assists.
Federico Valverde has been wearing Kroos' fabled No. 8 shirt this season and could be his successor for Los Blancos. It was the German himself who handed Valverde his number at the end of last season.
Speaking to fans after winning the 15th European title, Kroos passed the baton to Valverde.
“At the moment, my number 8 is free…I’m handing my number to this guy, Fede Valverde,” Kroos said in June (via News18).
Valverde has already proved that he is more than capable of the job.