Jude Bellingham as a No.10 and Eduardo Camavinga back into the middle? Real Madrid's midfield options as Carlo Ancelotti experiments with a new diamond formation

So, Ancelotti has, quite possibly, ditched his whole system to accommodate one player. This all seems rather out of character, especially given the great Italian's reliance on vibes and positional fluidity. But there is some sense to building around Bellingham here. Modric, Kroos and, presumably, Camavinga have all of the legs and intelligence to make things happen behind him.

Give Bellingham the ball in advanced areas, with runners in front of him and support on either wing, and the result could be deadly. He showed as such for England at the World Cup, dictating play throughout the group stage, and standing as the Three Lions' best player at the tournament.

He is, of course, versatile enough to work in other ways. If Madrid want to put Rodrygo in a more attacking role — something they flirted with last year — Bellingham could be moved back. But if this is indeed the Bellingham experiment, there is really only one role for him.

Ancelotti still hasn't quite figured out what Camavinga's best position is, though the France international himself seems to know. He prefers to play anywhere, as long as it's not left-back. Ironically, and unfortunately for him, he's quite a good left-back, and it's where Ancelotti has routinely stuck the player for the last six months, preferring him to the likes of David Alaba and Ferland Mendy at the position.

But back-up has arrived in the form of Fran Garcia. The former Madrid academy player, brought in using a buy-back clause from Real Valladolid, figures to be in the mix for a starting nod at Santiago Bernabeu. Finally, then, Camavinga just might get his preferred midfield move.

In his teenage days at Rennes, he was nominally a No.6, but had the legs to scamper and track pretty much everywhere. At Madrid, Camavinga has played a bit of everything in the midfield, but figures to battle with fellow countryman Tchouameni for the No.6 role. It'll be a toss up.

Madrid's big-money signing of last summer looked like a fine addition before the World Cup. Tchouameni was still settling in, but looked every bit the ideal No.6 for Ancelotti's side. There were some faults — his distribution wasn't necessarily as expansive as his predecessor in the position. Still, the basics were there.

Then, it all went a bit wrong. Tchouameni picked up a couple of knocks before drawing the ire of his manager by skipping a cup tie while injured to attend a basketball game in Paris. He followed that with an inconsistent period, and by the end of the year had lost his spot in the XI.

Such is the harshness of playing for Madrid that the transfer links soon emerged. But Tchouameni has insisted that he won't leave the club, and plans to fight for his position. If he's anything like the player that was showing glimpses of class last season, he will be in the XI every week.

How to deal with Kroos' aging legs? Ancelotti has admitted that both Kroos and Modric will have to accept their minutes being reduced over the coming months, with a tentative understanding that the 2023-24 season could be their last at the club.

What, exactly, that means on a weekly basis remains to be seen. Kroos has done enough to prove that he should be in the XI pretty much every week. Although his defensive weaknesses are becoming more apparent, his metronomic passing is simply invaluable to the side, and they are a far more comfortable team on the ball when the German is playing.

Kroos' versatility will surely do him some favours, too. He can play as a No.6 or left-sided No.8. If he's not a regular starter at one position, bank on Kroos being the ideal rotation player — likely one Ancelotti will trust in the big games.

By the end of last season, Modric was basically being asked if he was ready to play on a game-by-game basis. If he was, the Croat would start. If he felt unsure, a cameo was still on the cards. Expect much of the same this year.

Modric is well into his 30s, and appeared to be losing his legs slightly at the end of last season. He will undoubtedly come into the campaign with a spring in his step, but it's unrealistic to ask him to play 30 games at his age.

Chances are, he will serve much the same role as he did last year. Modric will likely be in the XI for the big games — derbies, Champions League clashes, cup finals. But against lesser opposition, there's no real need to risk him. Like Kroos, he also has versatility on his side. Modric can play as either No.8, as well as an out-and-out No.10 if Bellingham is moved elsewhere.

Despite a series of underwhelming performances and off-field issues, Ancelotti retained his faith in Valverde last year. It seemed an odd choice, especially as it meant keeping the ever-improving Camavinga out of his natural central midfield role.

Still, there's a lot of like about Valverde. A powerful runner, underrated creative presence and expert presser, he has all of the traits of a modern box-to-box midfielder. The Steven Gerrard comparisons often thrown around might be a bit too lofty, but Valverde can still be a world-class player on his day.

Where, exactly, he fits into this side, though, isn't clear. Ancelotti has often used him as a wide player, a sort of modified right-winger tasked with tucking in when Madrid have the ball. That has worked at times, but it often means omitting the promising Rodrygo — an increasingly difficult sacrifice to make.

His future, then, appears to be on the right side of a midfield three. With plenty of competition around, he will need a big season to retain his spot.

The odd man out. It was rather strange that Madrid retained Ceballos, especially after signing Bellingham. The former Arsenal man doesn't appear to have an obvious route into this side, and with six top-quality midfielders ahead of him, it's tricky to see why he would want to stay.

Still, there is merit in his versatility. Ceballos can play pretty much anywhere in midfield and enjoyed some fine showings on the left side of a midfield three for a brief stretch in late January. Perhaps that's where his value lies — a valuable stopgap player who can always put in a shift if any of the big guns need a break. It can be argued that Ceballos is probably too good for such a role, but Madrid won't have too many complaints.