Carlo Ancelotti reveals how the arrival of Kylian Mbappe will affect Jude Bellingham

Carlo Ancelotti has insisted that Kylian Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid will not affect Jude Bellingham, although both players could fight for the same places on the pitch.

The France star has made a long-awaited move to the Spanish capital this summer, joining Madrid as they look to defend their La Liga and Champions League titles. His arrival, while exciting, has raised questions about the role of Bellingham, who played at a high level throughout his first season in Madrid, scoring a whopping 23 goals as a result.

Mbappe joins a talented group of attackers at Madrid – with Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo among Ancelotti’s talented goalscorers.

However, the manager has assured fans that Bellingham will not be compromised by Mbappe.

“Nothing has changed for him. Nothing has changed,” Ancelotti said ahead of Madrid’s pre-season game against Chelsea. “In the first season, he was very surprised, because he showed good quality, a really mature boy. Next season will not be different.

“He will be one of the best players we have, who supports the team a lot at his level. This is the idea, but Bellingham played very well at the Euros. England played very well, they reached the final and they were close to winning it.”

Madrid face Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea in a pre-season friendly on Wednesday, ahead of their UEFA Super Cup clash with Atalanta on 14 August. They will then look ahead to the new La Liga season, with their first game of the campaign against Mallorca on 18 August.

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