Real Madrid has lost Jude Bellingham because they are looking for a new Toni Kroos.

1. What is perhaps most surprising is not that players like Vinicius Jr. or Rodrygo are feeling the effects of Kroos’ absence, but rather that Jude Bellingham is the one who seems most affected

2. Bellingham, who was expected to step up and fill the void left by Kroos, has had a challenging season so far

Without a doubt, Toni Kroos’s departure has hurt Real Madrid this season. The German master, who was famous for being very smart about football, moving the ball quickly, and controlling the pace of the game, is clearly being missed.

Since he left, Madrid’s center has been missing someone, and the team’s play has been worse as a result. Real Madrid has had a hard time keeping up the speed and flow of their play that they used to have when Kroos was in charge.

The most surprising thing about Kroos’ loss might not be that players like Vinicius Jr. or Rodrygo are feeling it, but that Jude Bellingham seems to be feeling it the most.

So far, Bellingham hasn’t had the best season. He was supposed to step up and fill the hole Kroos left.

The young Englishman has been under a lot of pressure to fill Kroos’s spot on the team, and his play has not been as good as it was last season.

His lackluster performance in front of goal this term says a lot about how hard it is for him to get used to his new job.

There are numbers that back up this idea.

Bellingham became famous last season for his strong play. He often celebrated by waving his famous two arms outstretched, which quickly became a sign of his power on the field.

That being said, Bellingham’s goal reactions have been hard to miss this season. Even though he is still intense and driven, he is not as good at scoring goals as he used to be.

People have high hopes for Bellingham because he set the bar high for himself last year. By this point in the season, he had already scored six goals and surprised everyone by becoming a contender for the league’s top scorer.

After the same number of games this year, Bellingham still hasn’t scored, which is very different from last year when he scored a lot. His finishing touch has left him, no matter how hard he tries.

Bellingham is no longer in charge.

It’s important to remember that things are different this season because Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Jr. are back, which has changed how Real Madrid plays.

Bellingham’s job has changed, and he isn’t as close to the other team’s penalty area as he was during the 2023–24 season. He has taken ten shots, including one that almost tied the game against Lille in the last few minutes, but he hasn’t scored any goals yet.

In contrast to last season, when Bellingham’s goals often decided games for Real Madrid, this is a big change.

This year, Bellingham has helped set up plays more than scored goals. Real Madrid isn’t too worried about his play because he’s still helping the team in other ways. However, he hasn’t been able to score, which has been a missing piece.

The team hasn’t been playing consistently as a whole, and Bellingham’s goals could give them a much-needed boost.

Bellingham is still an important player for Madrid, even though he has trouble scoring goals. The team still benefits from his imagination, work ethic, and ability to move things forward, but he needs to find his scoring touch again.

To get back on track, Real Madrid is currently looking for solutions. Bellingham is still making plays, but his goal-scoring skills would be a nice addition to a team that’s having trouble finding their groove.