Burning Bridges: 16 Oct. 2026

Writing for Managing Madrid, Juninho argues that Jude Bellingham functions more effectively as a second striker than a traditional playmaking number 10. The writer suggests that Real Madrid currently lacks central creativity and questions whether the team's system should be rearranged to allow a natural creator like Arda Guler to operate centrally behind the attack instead.

According to cited statistics, Guler leads LaLiga in chances created with 28, while Bellingham has registered 14. The writer notes that while Bellingham excels in goalscoring, work rate, and box entries, his individual pressing tendencies from central areas can disrupt defensive balance, suggesting Bellingham could be deployed deeper in a midfield trio.