Real Madrid Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti. (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP)
Carlo Ancelotti has praised England midfielder Jude Bellingham, who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, but said on Friday he has plenty of young talent at his fingertips.
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Los Blancos have three of the best midfield prospects in world football in Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga and Fede Valverde.
Borussia Dortmund’s Bellingham played well for England at the World Cup in Qatar until Gareth Southgate’s side were knocked out by France’s Tchouameni and Camavinga in the quarter-finals.
“Bellingham showed at the World Cup that he is a good midfielder,” Ancelotti told reporters on Friday ahead of his team’s La Liga match with Villarreal.
“A lot of famous youngsters, like Enzo (Fernandez) with Argentina, and the Spaniards Pedri and Gavi had a very good tournament.
“There are a lot of young midfielders emerging, but I will stick with myself. We have very good ones, Tchouameni, Camavinga, Valverde. We have a lot of youngsters.”
French duo Tchouameni and Camavinga finished as runners-up, losing in the final to Argentina.
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Bellingham’s deal with Dortmund expires in 2025 and the 19-year-old has been linked with various teams, including Spanish champions Madrid, who sold Casemiro to Manchester United last summer.
Long-serving Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos and 37-year-old Luka Modric have contracts that expire in the summer of 2023.
Los Blancos signed Camavinga, 20, from Rennes in 2021 and last year brought in Tchouameni, 22, from Monaco.
Valverde, 24, joined Madrid’s youth ranks from Penarol in 2016, but is often deployed on the right rather than in central midfield.
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