"Rejuvenate that midfield" - Kevin Hatchard says Real Madrid may look to sign England international as Luka Modric's replacement

Kevin Hatchard has revealed Real Madrid might sign Jude Bellingham as a long-term replacement for Luka Modric.

The Croatian midfield star signed an extension that will keep him at Real Madrid until the summer of 2023, but he isn’t getting any younger and needs to be replaced.

Real Madrid have some talented young players in Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde, but replacing the likes of Modric and Kroos isn’t going to be easy.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿❗️𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓: #Liverpool are still one of the main suitors for Jude Bellingham. The Reds and Real Madrid are ‘watching his development closely’.

Source: @BILD_Sport 🗞 🇩🇪 https://t.co/EM1QTRHJWz

Bellingham has progressed well at Borussia Dortmund and has subsequently been linked with a return to England and to the Premier League.

Hatchard revealed that Bellingham's return to England is not the likeliest of routes as the Spanish champions are keen on him:

“I think we just automatically assume sometimes that when an English player who has thrived abroad leaves, they’re going to automatically come back to the Premier League. But you look at what Real Madrid are doing, in terms of putting together some very good young players in their squad, and he is a player that, according to German media, they’ve targeted for next summer."

He added:

“They want to bring him in as part of this effort to rejuvenate that midfield. Luka Modric has signed a deal for another year, but who knows what will happen next summer with him. Maybe Jude Bellingham could be the one that they turn to.”

Bellingham’s dynamism would make him an instant hit at Real Madrid

The newly-crowned European champions have a talented rooster, but Bellingham’s potential addition would further elevate their quality.

Despite his tender age, the midfielder has shown incredible maturity and ability for the German side.

🚨🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 According to @SPORTBILD, Jude Bellingham plays a very important role in the plans for a major upheaval at Real Madrid from 2023. After Camavinga and Tchouameni who is likely to arrive this summer, Real's next midfield target is Bellingham. https://t.co/6LWCz60iv3

A box-to-box midfielder, Bellingham can not only break play in a central role, but can drive forward with his pace and beat players at will.

His goal-return this past season in the Bundesliga was a paltry three, but his eight assists prove that he can be a part of the play in the final third.

While it would be foolish to compare him to a midfield metronome like Modric, Bellingham has his own skillset that would make Los Blancos a more dynamic team.