Ex-Real Madrid hero Predrag Mijatovic backs 20-year-old star to win Ballon d'Or next season

Ex-Real Madrid star Predrag Mijatovic has tipped Jude Bellingham to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or award on the back of the Englishman's brilliant start to his Los Blancos career.

Bellingham, 20, has wasted no time in settling himself at Santiago Bernabeu since arriving in a potential €134 million deal from Borussia Dortmund in the summer. He has scored a whopping 14 goals and provided three assists in 15 games across all competitions so far this season.

Backing the Birmingham City academy graduate to be a Ballon d'Or award winner next year, Mijatovic commented (h/t Football Transfers):

"Bellingham has found a coach who likes players with these characteristics and has given him the freedom to move wherever he wants. He has already scored practically the same number of goals as last year and that means that he is a player with tremendous potential. If he continues like this, he will surely be a candidate for the Ballon d'Or."

Heaping praise on the Real Madrid star's abilities, Mijatovic continued:

"I have the feeling that he has the character of a leader and his teammates respect him. They say that he is a great professional who trains as if it were a game. Also he is a great communicator. He may have a problem with the language, but when you see him, he is very alive. The comments from his colleagues are wonderful."

Bellingham, who finished in 18th place in this year's Ballon d'Or vote, is next set to be in action for Real Madrid on Wednesday (November 29). He is likely to start the La Liga team's UEFA Champions League Group C encounter against Serie A outfit Napoli at Santiago Bernabeu.

Real Madrid not in talks to sign Manchester City's Erling Haaland, says transfer expert

Earlier this month, Erling Haaland's agent Rafaela Pimenta was queried about the recent transfer rumors involving her client and Real Madrid. She replied to reputed Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport:

"You should ask Real Madrid, not me."

In his column for Caught Offside, acclaimed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano shed light on Haaland's future at Manchester City. He wrote:

"There's absolutely nothing concrete regarding Erling Haaland at this stage, despite people reading more into his agent Rafaela Pimenta's recent answers to questions. I think she's just giving normal answers to normal questions. Haaland is not thinking about anything else other than Manchester City and the club's focus on this season. I don't think Pimenta is being evasive or difficult at all."

Haaland, who recently finished second behind Lionel Messi in the Ballon d'Or gala, is currently in world-class form for Manchester City. The 23-year-old has scored 18 goals and recorded four assists in 19 appearances across all competitions for Pep Guardiola's side this season.