"This is why you talk about Ronaldo, Messi" - Paul Merson warns Jude Bellingham, tells him what must be done to not get 'stopped' next season
Former Arsenal forward Paul Merson has warned Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham against the mistakes that could help oppositions 'stop' him next season. Merson claimed that the 21-year-old had to 'come up with ideas' and solutions to reach the levels of superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
The 56-year-old made the claim in the newest episode on the Football's Greatest YouTube channel alongside presenter Jeff Stelling. He said:
“He’s (Jude) a young kid, missed the end of his last season with Dortmund. So he missed quite a bit of football towards the end. But then he comes to Spain, all fresh and no one really knows him. Can’t imagine too many Spanish people watching a lot of German football over there. He comes in and hits La Liga by storm, 17 goals in 20 games, bombing into the box. [They] can’t stop him, unreal. All of a sudden he gets to Christmas and it’s all Bellingham.
"Now they’re playing the likes of Cadiz or Real Betis or Athletic Bilbao and in their team talk [they’re like], ‘gotta stop this kid Bellingham’. Not Vinicus Jr or Rodrygo or Modric or Kroos. Now all of a sudden it’s all [about] stopping Bellingham and everybody stopped him," Merson added.
"From Christmas onwards, I think he got five or six goals. He’s got to come up with solutions. This is why you talk about people like Ronaldo, Messi, Ryan Giggs. People like that, they were [up there] year in, year out. They were [also] stopped, but they still come up with solutions. It’s going to be hard for him next year believe me. If he performs at the same level next year, I’ll be like ‘wow, you’re special’ because he will get stopped from playing and he has to come up with ideas," the English pundit concluded.
Jude Bellingham enjoyed a stellar debut campaign with Real Madrid, but will likely take a backseat after Kylian Mbappe's arrival
Jude Bellingham defied all expectations that were set for him in his first campaign with Real Madrid. He arrived from Borussia Dortmund in July 2023 for a reported fee of €103 million plus add-ons and hit the ground running.
Due to Karim Benzema's surprise departure to Al-Ittihad at the start of the 2023-24 season, Bellingham was deployed in an advanced attacking role instead of his usual position in midfield.
The Englishman placed himself in the right places at the right time, bagging 23 goals and 13 assists in 42 goals across all competitions. He helped his side win La Liga, the UEFA Champions League and the Supercopa de Espana.
Despite his stellar offensive campaign, he will likely be moved back into the midfield after French superstar Kylian Mbappe's unveiling as a Real Madrid player. He will still be a key member of Carlo Ancelotti's squad, and will likely form a formidable midfield trio alongside Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni.