Toni Kroos Warns Jude Bellingham Not to Follow Eden Hazard’s Real Madrid Career
Real Madrid have confirmed the signing of 19-year-old Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund for an initial fee of £88m, potentially rising to £115m. This would make Bellingham the most expensive British player ever.
Toni Kroos, who plays for Real Madrid, has warned Bellingham that just because he is coming for a hefty transfer fee, it does not guarantee success. Kroos referenced Eden Hazard’s time at Real Madrid, where he made just 76 appearances across all competitions over four seasons, scoring only seven goals.
Kroos said on his Einfach mal Luppen podcast: ‘€103m transfer fee? We now also had someone who came for a lot of money and virtually let his career rest. A lot of money and I think everyone would say in retrospect: That was not such a good transfer. But now let’s start from the positive.’
Kroos added that he doesn’t expect the new arrival to go down the same route and believes the teenager will be a hit in Spain. He said: ‘Jude is a very top player, who many teams wanted due to his quality and age. I usually have great confidence in our decision-makers. If Real Madrid has spent so much, this is a very good transfer for us.’
Conclusion
Toni Kroos has warned Jude Bellingham not to replicate the Real Madrid career of Eden Hazard, who made just 76 appearances across four seasons and scored only seven goals. Kroos believes that Bellingham is a top player and that Real Madrid have made a good transfer by spending so much money on him. Only time will tell if Bellingham will be a success at Real Madrid, but it is clear that Kroos is confident in the 19-year-old’s ability.