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Juventus legend Claudio Marchisio cheekily proposed a transfer to Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham after the latter's Golden Boy award win.
Bellingham was adjudged as the winner of the award last month but had to wait until 4 December (Monday) to collect the trophy. The ceremony was organized by Tuttosport in Turin — the city where Juventus are based.
After collecting his award in Italy, Bellingham posted a series of photos on Instagram with the caption:
"Golden Boy 2023. Beyond grateful, thank you to everyone who’s supported my journey until this point, can’t fully express my appreciation!"
Marchisio, who spent a staggering 25 years at Juventus until his move to Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2018, was among many superstars who congratulated Bellingham in the comment section. He wrote:
"Welcome to Turin In the future… 😉🤟"
Marchisio was himself a world-class central midfielder in his heyday. The 37-year-old, who retired in 2019, made 389 appearances for Juventus and won seven first-division league titles.
Coincidentally, Bellingham's self-proclaimed idol Zinedine Zidane also spent a memorable stint at Juventus. The English superstar admitted earlier this season that he chose the No. 5 shirt at Real Madrid because it was once worn by Zidane.
2023 Golden Boy award winner Jude Bellingham has been sensational for Real Madrid
Jude Bellingham won the 2023 Golden Boy award with 97% of the votes. According to MARCA, only five journalists didn't put the 20-year-old midfielder in first place on their preferential list.
Hence, it is widely accepted that Bellingham has been the best under-21 player in the last 12 months or so. He arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu in a €103 million move on the back of an impressive season for Borussia Dortmund.
Bellingham registered 14 goals and seven assists in 42 games for the Black and Yellow last term as they lost the league title on goal difference. He has already bettered that goal tally this season.
The former Birmingham City midfielder has 15 goals and four assists in 17 games for Real Madrid. This has largely been possible due to Carlo Ancelotti playing him in an advanced role, where he, at times, doubles up as a forward.
Bellingham's latest appearance came in his team's 2-0 LaLiga win over Granada on 2 December. For a change, he failed to register a goal or an assist.
