Jose Mourinho has already decided Jude Bellingham’s Real Madrid role for 2026/27 season | OneFootball

Jude Bellingham has only just returned to Real Madrid training, but Jose Mourinho already appears to have a clear idea of how he wants to use the England international.

According to AS, the Portuguese manager plans to move Bellingham into a more advanced position as part of his preferred 4-2-3-1 system. 

Rather than asking the midfielder to spend most of his time deep, as he did last season, Mourinho wants him operating as the team’s number 10.

It is a role that could bring Bellingham closer to the version of himself that lit up his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Mourinho knows the 23-year-old can drop deeper when circumstances require it, but the idea is that his biggest strengths are seen when he is allowed to attack spaces around the penalty area.

Mourinho wants Bellingham closer to the box

The plan is to get Bellingham into positions where he can influence the game in the final third.

Jude Bellingham has just returned to training. (Picture credit: X/@realmadrid)

The England international is at his most dangerous when he can arrive late, carry the ball forward and combine with the attackers around him. 

Giving him greater freedom as a number 10 would allow Mourinho to take advantage of those qualities rather than asking him to spend too much time building play from deeper areas.

The outlet mentions that the Portuguese coach will begin working directly with Bellingham after the Deportivo La Coruña match, giving the midfielder time to settle back into the squad following his summer break.

Mourinho wants to see the 2023/24 Bellingham

Simply put, Mourinho’s preferred 4-2-3-1 system appears to offer a natural fit for the England midfielder.

With two players behind him in the middle of the park, Bellingham would have the freedom to move across the attacking line and find pockets of space without leaving the team exposed in central areas.

Mourinho has a plan to optimise Bellingham’s output. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

As such, there is a very clear reason why Mourinho is so interested in unlocking Bellingham’s attacking potential.

The Englishman was sensational during his first campaign in Madrid. Playing with freedom, he scored 23 goals and registered 13 assists across the 2023/24 season.

That version of Bellingham is the player Mourinho wants to see again.

Furthermore, his numbers during the 2026 World Cup also showed what he can produce when given an advanced role. 

Operating as an attacking midfielder, he helped England reach third place and finished the tournament with seven goals and one assist in eight matches and those performances provide Mourinho with a useful blueprint.