Toni Kroos' sharp reaction after Jude Bellingham joins Real Madrid, takes epic dig at Eden Hazard

Rising English superstar Jude Bellingham’s sensational transfer to Real Madrid was confirmed on Wednesday by the Spanish club as they continue to stock up on world-class talent for the present as well as the future. Bellingham, who is still two weeks away from his 20th birthday has represented Borussia Dortmund nearly 100 times. He was bought for a base transfer fee of 103 million euros, making him only the fourteenth player to have been bought for a nine-figure sum.

Bellingham is considered to be one of the finest young midfield talents in the world. He has joined Real Madrid’s ranks alongside Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, and Aurelien Tchouameni, providing the record Champions League winners with an incredible amount of depth. This ensures Los Blancos won’t suffer any issues in the transition away from the world-class midfield trio of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, and Casemiro which has won them 5 UCL titles over the last decade.

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Kroos has his say on Bellingham’s arrival

German midfielder Kroos, who has played for Real over 270 times, has commented on Bellingham’s arrival at the club on his podcast. “For his age, he [Bellingham] is very advanced - a top player that many teams wanted,” the 2014 World Cup winner said on his podcast - Einfach mal Luppen. “If Real Madrid puts down that kind of money, and I have a lot of confidence in that, it's a very good transfer,” he added.

Bellingham travelled to Qatar with the England team for the 2022 World Cup, where he established himself as a starting member of the Three Lions. His quality has been clear from a very young age: he came through the system at English second division club Birmingham City, who retired his 22 shirt despite Bellingham leaving the club at just 17 years old. Several clubs were chasing his signature over the last two transfer windows, such as Liverpool and Chelsea, but Real Madrid won the race, as Bellingham continues his career on mainland Europe — an atypical path for an English star, but one which has served him well to this point.

However, Kroos was also quick to caution against the dangers of heaping too much pressure on Bellingham, and frank with his assessment that his price tag could only be justified through good performances at Real. “I haven't seen many Dortmund games this season. That's why I can't make a final assessment in principle. I've seen clips of him playing in the Champions League. There he has mostly played very, very well. And if he does the same here, it's a good transfer. If not, then not,” said Kroos.

'We now also had someone who came for a lot of money'

The German then went on to level a criticism at Eden Hazard, the Belgian winger who joined for a large fee from Chelsea but has flattered to deceive in his time at Real, often injured and unfit. “We now also had someone who came for a lot of money and virtually let his career rest. There was also a lot of money there, and I think everyone would say in retrospect that it wasn't such a good transfer,” said Kroos, as a potential warning to Bellingham to earn his keep at Europe’s most successful club.

“But let's start from the positive side. If it's a done deal now, then welcome to Madrid,” concluded Kroos. He and Modric remain at the club well into their 30s, and will no doubt be asked to act as mentors for the crop of young and talented midfielders entering the club in recent windows.

Madrid fans will likely get a first look at Bellingham in the iconic white shirt when the team will return to action with a set of preseason friendlies in July in the USA, including against AC Milan, Manchester United, and eternal rivals FC Barcelona.

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