JUDE BELLINGHAM is set for a position change to accommodate Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid.
The French superstar has reportedly agreed a five-year deal at the Bernabeu and will join on a free transfer once his PSG contract expires in the summer.
Mbappe, 25, told PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi of his decision to leave last Tuesday.
And although no paperwork has been formally signed just yet, Real Madrid are well underway with making preparations for Mbappe’s arrival.
That includes working out how to fit the World Cup winner into Carlo Ancelotti’s star-studded side.
As reported by Guillem Balague for the BBC, Mbappe will expect to play in his favoured position, in the forward line ideally slightly on the left rather than as an out-and-out solo No9.
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That role is currently occupied by Vinicius Junior, who could be pushed further out into more of a left-winger role.
And that would also see Bellingham drop deeper.
The Englishman, 20, has been playing in an advanced No10 position this season, even at times as a false No9 with Vinicius and Rodrygo either side of him.
And he has been reaping the rewards with a stunning return of 20 goals and eight assists in 29 games for Los Blancos.
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However, the ex-Birmingham and Borussia Dortmund ace will undoubtedly adapt to his more natural, midfield position with ease – and relish the chance to link up with Mbappe.
Mbappe also heads to Madrid as a goalscorer determined to win the biggest trophies on offer.
He has racked up a staggering 244 goals in 291 PSG matches to become the club’s record scorer.
But the glaring omission on his CV remains the Champions League and he will surely be confident of getting his hands on the famous trophy in the iconic all-white kit of Real.
Another issue that needs resolving is what number Mbappe takes at the Bernabeu.
He wears the No7 at PSG but Vinicius has that while his France No10 shirt is currently occupied by Luka Modric.
However, the Croatian may leave this summer which would free it up – otherwise Mbappe would surely settle for the No9.
The former Monaco sensation came close to joining Real Madrid in 2022 but ended up signing a two-year contract extension at the Parc des Princes.
He rejected a world-record transfer to Saudi Arabia last summer but will not exercise the option to trigger an extra 12 months on his PSG deal.
And that means he can sign for Real as a free agent.
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Mbappe is expected to put pen to paper on an eye-watering contract worth around £250,000 per week plus a £128million signing-on bonus spread across the five years.
Incredibly, that is a significant pay cut compared to his astronomical wages in Ligue 1.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
