Real Madrid News
Zidane backs Real Madrid new signing to succeed at the club: “He’s ready”
Speaking in an interview with Telefoot (h/t Mundo Deportivo), Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane has claimed that Jude Bellingham is ready to play for the club and has tipped him for a great future in the game.
Bellingham signed for Real Madrid earlier this month after a long-drawn pursuit. The 19-year-old cost the Merengues €103 million plus close to €30 million in add-ons.
Upon arriving at the club, the England international took Zidane’s former No. 5 shirt, having claimed that the Frenchman is his idol.
Now, the former Real Madrid midfielder and manager has gone on to lavish praise on the club’s new signing, backing him to succeed at the Santiago Bernabeu and make it big in the game.
“He is an important player, he is a player with a great future and he is ready to play for Real Madrid. I was with him watching the Champions League final in Paris against Liverpool,” Zidane said.
The 51-year-old also had words of praise for his fellow Real Madrid legends Karim Benzema and Luka Modric, stating that they are the kind of footballers who make him jump off his seat.
“If there’s one player who gets me out of my chair, it’s Karim Benzema. Maybe Luka Modric too, players who, when they have the ball, you think they’re going to lose it, but no, they always manage to get away with it,” the 2006 World Cup finalist said.
During the interview, Zidane also spoke about his compatriot Kylian Mbappe, who has been heavily linked with a summer transfer to Real Madrid. The French manager stated that he wishes to see the 24-year-old win a lot of trophies as well as the Ballon d’Or.
“I hope one day he wins the Ballon d’Or and I hope he wins a lot of titles. What he does is fantastic for the French national team and for PSG, his club. I’m a fan of Mbappe,” Zidane stated.
There have been talks of the 51-year-old returning to Real Madrid next year when Carlo Ancelotti’s contract expires. When asked if he is misses the day-to-day of management, he replied:
“Do I miss the adrenaline of training at the highest level? Yes, of course, I do. When you’re away, you see it in a different way. I haven’t had it for two years, but it will come.”
Aurelien Tchouameni has had an exciting start to his career at Real Madrid. Since joining the club for almost €80 million last summer, the young Frenchman has now become a pivotal figure in Real Madrid’s midfield unit.
However, prior to his move to Santiago Bernabeu, the midfielder was closely linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
In a recent interview, Tchouameni opened up on his links to PSG but revealed his decision to join Real Madrid.
Aurelien Tchouameni on PSG links
Talking about speculations linking him to PSG, Tchouameni said (h/t Madrid Zone), “PSG? Frankly, I thought about it. It’s a very big European club, we want the French clubs to succeed.”
“But honestly, when Real Madrid calls you, it’s very complicated to say no,” Tchouameni added.
The midfielder was linked with a move to PSG during his time at AS Monaco. Les Parisiens wanted to sign the youngster as part of their plans to reinforce the midfield unit.
Tchouameni, though, ended up opting for a move to Real Madrid, which turned out to be a prudent decision from the midfielder’s end.
Tchouameni’s career at Real Madrid
Aurelien Tchouameni made a total of 50 competitive appearances during his maiden season at Real Madrid.
Although the Frenchman was not entirely a first-team regular in Carlo Ancelotti’s setup, his stature in the team is expected to grow in the coming years.
Especially as Toni Kroos and Luka Modric move on at the end of the season, there is scope for Tchouameni to become a first-team regular in the Real Madrid midfield in the years to come.
The former AS Monaco starlet has already played a crucial role in the starting eleven so far this season and it is only going to continue as the season progresses.
