Jude Bellingham is reportedly one of five Real Madrid players who have been warned by club president Florentino Perez following the recent sacking of Xabi Alonso.
After Alonso mutually agreed to leave Real after just 232 days in charge earlier in January, Perez reportedly felt the need to personally address players’ attitudes while Alvaro Arbeloa stepped up to become the first team head coach.
As reported by Spanish outlet Cadena SER, Bellingham, along with four other Real Madrid stars, was asked to “change” his “attitude” in a personal meeting with Perez.
The 78-year-old, who has enjoyed two spells as president of Los Blancos, supposedly summoned the England international for a meeting in which he asked for more leadership from the midfielder.
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Meanwhile, Cadena also claims that Perez held discussions with Arda Guler, Franco Mastantuono, Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga after the latter two complained about playing at full-back rather than their preferred central midfield positions.
Perez reportedly told the pair that personal preferences must not come before the team, regardless of the players’ feelings on playing out of position.
Concerns were raised about the overall attitude of the squad as well as the level of performance, as Real are without a major trophy since the 2023/24 campaign.
And despite Bellingham reportedly being subject to a meeting with Perez, his head coach, Arbeloa, leapt to his defence when asked about the player's role as a leader.
Speaking in a press conference on Tuesday (January 27), the former Real right-back said: “I've seen a player with exceptional quality and abilities.
“Anyone who's seen him on television knows it, but when you're up close, it's even more surprising.
"Beyond his football quality, I've seen a player who wants to be a leader, a role model. The other day, 48 hours after a game, I told him, and I never, ever say this, 'stop running.' The performance he's giving in training, his commitment and his leadership... I'm very proud of having a player like Jude Bellingham."
He added: “On the pitch, he's capable of doing so many things well."
"He's a player who makes runs into space, gets into the box, has a good shot, and he reads the game. He's young, but he has a lot of experience. And he's going to be the cornerstone of this Real Madrid for many years."
Bellingham has registered six goals and four assists in 26 Real Madrid appearances so far this term.
Following Real’s Champions League clash away against Benfica on Wednesday (January 28), the La Liga side will face city rivals Rayo Vallecano at home on Sunday (February 1).
SPORTbible has contacted Real Madrid for comment
Topics: Florentino Perez, Football, Jude Bellingham, La Liga, Real Madrid, Xabi Alonso
Luke Davies