How Jude Bellingham will improve Real Madrid

A prize as big as Jude Bellingham has understandably had Europe’s major clubs on high alert for most of the season.

In the end, it is Real Madrid who have won the race.

As exclusively revealed by The Athletic’s David Bernstein, Madrid have reached an agreement with Borussia Dortmund to sign one of the most coveted teenage midfielders in world football in a deal worth in excess of €100million (£86m; $107m). While the deal is not yet signed, Bellingham is expected to undergo a medical in the coming days.

 At just 19 years old (Bellingham turns 20 at the end of this month), the fact we need little convincing of Bellingham’s career trajectory shows just how talented he is. The Athletic has previously analyzed Bellingham’s playing profile with a data and tactics spin — outlining the teenager to be incredibly well-rounded in his playing profile. This is particularly notable when comparing him against his peers across Europe this season.

No midfielder ranks higher than Bellingham’s 15.3 progressive passes per 100 touches, highlighting just how often he looks to get the ball forward.

Meanwhile, Bellingham’s (possession-adjusted) 5.2 tackles and interceptions per 90 place him in the top 10 percent of his peers — highlighting his defensive work rate — with an attacking contribution of 0.38 expected goals (X G) plus expected assists (X A) per 90 also among the top 10 percent of midfielders across Europe.

 Particularly as Edwin rotated between a 4-2-3-1, a 4-3-3 and a 4-1-4-1 system at Dortmund this season, Bellingham has showcased his versatility to play as a No 4, No 8 and No 10.

A “Jude of all trades”, if you will.

 Of course, there are many of Bellingham’s attributes you simply cannot quantify in the data. Close control in tight areas. A propensity to glide past his opponent and nick the ball forward to continue a flowing move. An uncanny ability to chop back and switch feet in the final third — a skill he has clearly developed on the academy pitches.

 Rather than looking back at a highlights reel of Bellingham’s undoubted talent, let’s direct our gaze forward.

Just how suited is Bellingham to Real Madrid?

 Data has become increasingly important within professional clubs, but more advanced modelling can provide predictive power in the transfer market, as Dr Ryan Deal, chief executive and co-founder of Sentient Sports, explains to The Athletic.

“Traditional sports analytics have long focused on backwards-looking analytics that rely solely on the analysis of a player’s past performance to assess their potential performance in the future,” says Deal. These methods have been successful in identifying talent, but they do not always predict a player’s success in a new team or league.

“We have developed advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology that focuses on forward-looking analytics to simulate the performance of a player once they have moved clubs. This allows us to assess a player’s potential fit in a new team and the probability of their success.”

 Think about the times you were sure that the exciting talent you had watched for months was coming to your team, only to see they simply didn’t hit the heights you expected them to when they arrived.