Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has shared his verdict on Jude Bellingham’s debut season at Real Madrid.
During the previous summer transfer window, City were one of the clubs linked with a move for the midfielder before he eventually joined the Spanish club for an initial fee of over £88m.
Now that the two sides have been drawn together for this season’s Champions League quarter-finals, the City boss has shared his thoughts on the former Borussia Dortmund star and his efforts in Spain so far.
Guardiola highlights ‘massive’ Bellingham
Speaking in his latest press conference after the Champions League draw, Guardiola had this to say about Bellingham and what he’s done at Real this season.
He said: “Obviously the impact has been massive. It’s a different team from last season with his influence. It’s obvious. You have to try to discover what he does to control him.”
Since the 20-year-old joined Carlo Ancelotti’s side, he has made 31 appearances across all competitions, scoring 20 goals and supplying nine assists.
In 22 La Liga appearances, Bellingham has made more passes into the penalty area (39) than any other player at the club, as well as making more blocks (41) than any of his teammates.
This shows how effective the England international has been on and off the ball for his new side, in addition to the incredible number of goal contributions he’s made.
His overall performances have earned the youngster an impressive season rating of 7.78/10 from WhoScored, making him the highest-rated-player in La Liga and the fourth-highest-rated player across the top five European leagues.
With all of that in mind, it’s easy to see why Guardiola has highlighted how significant Bellingham has been in Spain this season and why City will need to focus on keeping him quiet when they face off against Real.