Jude Bellingham: Could He Be Mourinho's New Lampard at Real Madrid?

Steve McManaman believes Jude Bellingham could yet become José Mourinho’s new Frank Lampard at Real Madrid – but only if the system bends to fit him.

The former Madrid midfielder, speaking to GOAL on behalf of Disney+ ahead of Mourinho’s La Liga return at Espanyol this Saturday, pointed out that Bellingham has already flirted with that kind of role.

“I think he did that in his first year, didn’t he,” McManaman said, reflecting on Bellingham’s explosive debut season in Spain from an advanced position. “But time will tell because the year before last he dropped a little bit deeper, and last year he struggled for goals.”

The arrival of Kylian Mbappé, McManaman argues, shifted the entire attacking landscape.

“I think with the introduction of Kylian, his role changed, but whether Jose will want to play that role this year, we'll have to wait and see,” he said. Mourinho’s early selections will be telling. “It seems that he wants to play Kylian, Vini Junior and [Yan] Diomande, and that's going to be the big point in the end, whether the space is there for Jude to make that front four.”

A front four of that calibre in La Liga? In some matches, McManaman can see it running riot.

“I think in La Liga, in certain games he'll get away with it, that front four, and he'll be driving forward and he'll certainly score goals Jude because that's what he wants to do and he loves to attack those avenues arriving late, so let's hope that happens. But we'll all have to wait and see.”

The real puzzle, though, sits up top.

For McManaman, Mourinho’s biggest tactical headache is not Bellingham at all, but how to unlock both Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior without blunting either.

“I think the biggest conundrum is getting the best out of Kylian and out of Vini Junior and seeing where they both want to play because as we know, and you only have to see the World Cup, both of them like to drift out to the left and both like to stand left,” he explained. “So it'll be interesting whose job it is to stay in the centre of the box and stay in the centre of the park because both like to come towards the ball.”

McManaman is clear: for all their goals, neither is a classic No.9.

“They're both not number nines. I know they bought a young lad, [Carlos] Espi, who scored a couple of goals in pre-season already, he is a number nine and Gonzalo Garcia who's now at Fulham was a number nine.”

Mbappé and Vinícius remain devastating, but not old-school penalty-box predators.

“Vini Junior and Kylian are not, for all the goals they've scored, they're not orthodox fox in the box-type stuff,” McManaman said. That, he suggests, may drag Bellingham closer to goal again. “So maybe it will be up to Jude to make that push into the box but I'm waiting to see what Jose does and what Jose changes and how Jose's going to help them operate.”

One detail fascinates him: if Yan Diomande keeps whipping balls into dangerous areas, who finishes the move?

“Because if you've got Yan Diomande crossing the ball into the box, who's going to be there to head them in because you know Kylian and Vini are not prolific in the air? I'm really interested in that side of what Real Madrid are going to do.”

Mourinho’s second La Liga era starts this weekend. His solution to that question could define Bellingham’s role – and Real Madrid’s entire attacking identity.