Carlo Ancelotti planning exciting new system at Real Madrid based around Jude Bellingham

Real Madrid dusted off their cheque book in order to bring in Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund this summer, spending an initial €103m on the 19-year-old. No doubt Los Blancos expect him to become a star, but Carlo Ancelotti is already planning around him as one of their key players.

According to Diario AS, Ancelotti is even willing to shift formation in order to best exploit Bellingham’s offensive attributes. That change would see Los Blancos move from a general 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1 system, with Bellingham as the 10, and Vinicius Junior and perhaps Rodrygo Goes to their right. His plan is that Bellingham can also be a launch pad for Vinicius.

That system does suggest the use of a natural forward, or at least someone playing through middle rather than dropping off as frequently as Karim Benzema did. Whether that player is Rodrygo or Joselu Mato will be an interesting thing to watch.

As will the midfield setup. Traditionally Luka Modric has played further forward, and it could well mean the Croatian drops to the bench, if Bellingham is a guaranteed starter. That leaves Modric, Toni Kroos, Fede Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Dani Ceballos and Eduardo Camavinga all competing for just two spots in the team.

No doubt Bellingham has the talent to pull off the role, but if that formation shift does go through, then it will be intriguing to see the consequences and benefits for others. Ancelotti has almost alsways preferred a 4-3-3, but even when discussing formations, they tend to be general guides rather than set positions.