Real Madrid's ideal Jude Bellingham back-up - or midfield partner? Ex-Man City wonderkid Brahim Diaz finally earning his shot at the Bernabeu big time

Man City thought they had landed the next David Silva. A scouting mission to Spain found Diaz, then 16 years old. Had another deal, four years before, gone through, though, Diaz would not have been available at any price. Barcelona reportedly had everything sewn up with Brahim, then 12, in 2011. Diaz had expressed his desire to join the famous La Masia academy. His father had verbally accepted the agreement, having worked in conjunction with the same scout who lured Ansu Fati to Catalonia.

But the Malaga ownership stepped in, made an even more enticing offer to Diaz's father, and kept the playmaker at the club. Since he had not yet turned 16, and was therefore unable to sign a professional contract, the Blaugrana couldn't buy him. Four years later, Man City sorted the agreement that Barca never could.

Diaz's time in Manchester was admittedly mixed. He impressed for City's youth team, playing a vital role for an U23 side that finished second in the youth Premier League. There was scattered talk in the City academy that they had their Silva replacement wrapped up. Still, with the actual Silva still strutting his stuff in Manchester, and Kevin de Bruyne occupying his preferred position, Diaz sought a move. He refused to sign a contract extension, and made it clear that he wanted a fresh start. Madrid were the first to act, securing the 19-year-old's signature for £15 million ($19m)in January 2019 - a good deal for City considering Diaz could leave for nothing the following June.

Despite his immense promise, Diaz made just nine appearances for Pep Guardiola's side, scoring twice and never completing a full 90 minutes.

If City's side was difficult to break into, then Madrid's looked impossible. Los Blancos didn't play with a No.10 at the time of Diaz's arrival, while the emergence of Vinicius Jr on the left, and staying power of Luka Modric in the middle meant that the teenager struggled for minutes. He sat on the bench for almost 18 months, making 21 appearances in all competitions, accepting brief cameos and the occasional start in games that didn't matter.

Milan noticed his potential, though, and offered Los Blancos €1 million (£866,000/$1.1m) to bring Brahim in on loan. They wanted a buy option, but Real refused. There was a player in there somewhere. And Diaz showed just how good he could be. One year in Milan became three, the attacking midfielder functioning as the central cog in a fluid, expansive system. Finally, Diaz could operate as a sole No.10.

In his first season at the club, he scored four and assisted three in 15 Serie A starts, leading the Rossoneri to a second-placed finish. His level of performance brought more significant financial commitment out of Milan, who paid €6.5m (£5.6m/$7m) to bring Brahim back - this time on a two-year loan deal. It seemed to benefit all parties. Diaz won Serie A in his second year, making 52 league starts across his second and third seasons. Madrid, for their part, received nearly €8m in loan fees for a player they acquired for just over €15m.

A return to Madrid had always been the goal. According to The Athletic, Los Blancos' board were in constant contact with their loanee during his Italian vacation. His father never moved to Italy. Brahim may have loved Milan, but Madrid never strayed from his mind.

Real affirmed their commitment to him with a lucrative contract extension agreed in February 2023 - while Diaz was still playing for Milan. And this summer he returned to the club, more experienced and well-positioned to fight for a spot in the side. Bellingham's arrival, of course, complicated things, but the departure of Karim Benzema left Ancelotti's squad shallow in attack. At the very least, there remained room for Diaz to be an impactful backup.

And he has seized every possible opportunity. Diaz has scored eight and assisted three in 28 appearances this season. He seems an ideal fit in Ancelotti's diamond formation, operating as either a No.10, or on the right side of the manager's split striker formation. Bellingham, Vinicius, Rodrygo - Diaz has made things happen in conjunction with all of them. His €15m price-tag now looks like a steal.

His main remit, though, has been to replace the player who should be irreplaceable. There is no getting near Bellingham - statistically or otherwise. He is too good, too impactful, and too marketable for anyone to step in for. Diaz has not tried to be the new Bellingham.

Instead, he has offered something different. Diaz is an unpredictable, buzzing presence. He drops between the lines, plays on the half turn, and looks for cute angles and tight spaces. He's not powerful as much as sneaky, slithering away from defenders with a series of feints, dips and darts. His goal against Leipzig was a perfect example.

Diaz only needed less than 10 touches, start to finish. He received the ball near the right sideline, spun around one defender, bounced off another, cut inside a third, and curled a shot into the top corner - all without looking at the goal. It was an instinctive moment of brilliance, a fine footballer creating something out of nothing - and providing the pivotal moment in a hard-fought 1-0 win.

There remains the question as to how, exactly, Diaz can fit into this side, though. So far he has been Bellingham's ideal replacement, the perfect backup to step into the side when he's been sidelined. Half of his starts have come in games where the England star has been unavailable. He has provided five of his 11 goal contributions as Bellingham's stand-in.

The duo have started just five games together, and combined for one goal - Diaz feeding Bellingham for Madrid's first in a disappointing draw with Real Betis. They have consistently shared the pitch in the latter stages of contests, though. Diaz tends to be one of Los Blancos' first options off the bench and consistently replaces Rodrygo. In short spells, the two have functioned effectively; this is not the Steven Gerrard-Frank Lampard issue that tortured England for years.

It is only the consistency of Rodrygo and the excellence of Vinicius that prevents the Bellingham-Brahim relationship from developing. This could, theoretically, be a beneficial partnership - one that can be a real threat for Ancelotti. But Diaz will likely never break into the side ahead of two of the game's biggest stars.

And where does that leave Diaz? The attacking midfielder already proved himself at Milan, and in short spells has shown that he can be an impact player at an even higher level. In atypical fashion for Real, a semblance of coolheadedness could be useful here. Diaz has penned a deal that will keep him at the club until 2027. He will have done so on the understanding that he will always be behind Rodrygo and Vinicius - and will have to accept that the potential arrival of Kylian Mbappe could see him slip further out of the picture.

Still, Los Blancos will need depth. Mbappe, should he arrive, cannot play every game. It also wouldn't hurt to bench Bellingham, or either of Madrid's wingers every now and then. At 24, with so much more football left to come, accepting a role as a mostly rotation player may not be the worst idea for Brahim.

Perhaps, then, this is a question to revisit in two years. Zoom out, and Brahim's story is one of an immensely promising footballer developing in a linear trajectory. He proved himself as a teenager, improved in Serie A, and has earned his minutes at a top club. The challenge now is maintaining that level, working his way into what will be an even more impressive attacking side next season, and continuing to make an impact off the bench.

If, come 2026, Brahim is too good to sit on the bench, or settle for occasional minutes, then it might be time to look elsewhere. For now, though, there's nothing wrong with being a perfect replacement for a player that most teams would collapse without.