Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa admitted the difficulty of finding the ideal position for the English star Jude Bellingham within the team, emphasizing that the player's diverse capabilities are the main reason behind this challenge.

Arbeloa's statements came during the press conference following the victory in the Madrid Derby, which was the team's fifth consecutive win, a streak achieved in the absence of both Kylian Mbappe and Bellingham. With their return approaching, the coach must find the right balance within the lineup.

Mbappe is expected to replace Brahim Diaz in the starting lineup, a direct and clear change, but the matter of Bellingham's position seems more complicated.

Arbeloa said in his talk to the media: "The problem with Bellingham is that he is very good at many things. He is exceptional near the penalty area, but he is also excellent at building play from the back. He has great dribbling ability and can bypass lines. When a player is good at all these things, you have to choose what is best for the team, and that may vary depending on the nature of each match."

The Spanish coach confirmed that he will work on finding the right environment for Bellingham on the field by surrounding him with teammates he harmonizes with well to make the best use of his capabilities.

The discussion about Bellingham's position is not limited to Real Madrid alone but also extends to the England national team, as coach Thomas Tuchel sees the player as best suited to play as a number 10 playmaker. The English national team has a fixed duo in the defensive midfield, Declan Rice and Anderson, while four players compete for the playmaker position: Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Morgan Rogers, and Jude Bellingham.

At Real Madrid, Bellingham is experiencing a fluctuating season. Former coach Xabi Alonso tried to find a suitable position for him, previously indicating that he sees him closer to a midfielder than a forward. In an important match against Atletico Madrid, the team resorted to a 4-2-3-1 formation to give Bellingham the role of playmaker behind Mbappe, aiming to bring the player closer to the goal, but this system later caused some defensive issues, especially on the left side due to Vinicius Junior's difficulty in returning to defense.

Bellingham has not shown the same strength this season as he did at the start of his time with Real Madrid, having scored 6 goals and provided 4 assists in 31 matches, which is much less than his previous two seasons with the club. In his first season, he delivered an exceptional performance, scoring 23 goals and providing 14 assists, continuing to shine in the following season. He also finished one of the seasons in third place for the Ballon d'Or behind Rodri and Vinicius.

Between the roles of midfielder, playmaker, and deep-lying forward, Bellingham is still searching for his ideal position within Real Madrid, a puzzle that Arbeloa is currently trying to solve to make the best use of his great talent.