Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that he sees Jude Bellingham as Real Madrid's replacement for Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema.
Benzema shockingly left Madrid this summer to sign a bumper contract at Saudi Pro League outfit Al Ittihad - putting pen to paper on a contract worth £86m per year.
Since Benzema's departure, Kylian Mbappe has been heavily linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu, but having been reintegrated into the Paris Saint-Germain squad this week, it looks like Mbappe will remain in Ligue 1 for one more season before leaving as a free agent in June 2024.
While Real Madrid haven't spent big on a striker to replace Benzema this summer, they've had no trouble finding the back of the net in the first few weeks of the 2023/24 La Liga season thanks to the form of new boy Bellingham.
Playing in a role just behind Vinicius Junior and Rodygo in attack, the England international has bagged three goals in his first two competitive games for the club - who signed him for £86m from Borussia Dortmund in June - as Madrid have beaten both Athletic Club and Almeria to kickstart the season.
When asked about Bellingham in an interview with Radio Serie A, Ancelotti was quick to insist that Bellingham and his goals are Madrid's replacement for Benzema.
"We believe that the arrival of Bellingham covers the absence of Karim [Benzema]," the Italian said. "He is a serious, mature boy with a lot of quality. What he is doing is not surprising to those of us who know him, what is surprising is that he is only 20 years old."
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Along with Ancelotti, Toni Kroos has also been full of praise for Bellingham recently, hailing the England international's maturity on his podcast Einfach mal Luppen: "It was indicated in the preparation, where he did really well. He's integrated surprisingly well in such a short time," the German admitted.
"I have a very good feeling about him because I think he's incredibly mature for his age - not just mentally, that he's already very far, but also with the way he plays football. He's very, very far, doesn't do hara-kiri things, is always clear in his actions, works, tries to play to his strengths to the full.
"A lot of other people at that age still make a lot of hara-kiri, a lot of technical and tactical mistakes. You don't see that much with him. So far I have to say that he is already an absolute asset to our game. That means something, because we're not a completely blind team. The fact that a 20-year-old enriches us right from the start is a good sign."
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This article was originally published on 90min as Carlo Ancelotti backs Jude Bellingham ability with Karim Benzema remark.