La Liga: Paul Merson Warns Real Madrid Star “They’ll Stop You”

Arsenal legend Paul Merson has cautioned Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham that opposition players will aim to shut him down next season. Merson emphasized that the England international needs to find ways to maintain a top-level performance, similar to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, when the 2024/25 season begins.

Bellingham impressed in his first season at Real Madrid after joining from Dortmund. Speaking on the Football’s Greatest YouTube channel with presenter Jeff Stelling, Merson said:

“He [Bellingham] comes in and takes La Liga by storm, scoring 17 goals in 20 games, charging into the box.

“[Opponents] couldn’t stop him, it was unreal. Suddenly, by Christmas, it’s all about Bellingham.

“Now, when they play teams like Cadiz, Real Betis, or Athletic Bilbao, the team talks are all about stopping Bellingham. Not Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, Modric, or Kroos. Suddenly, it’s all about stopping Bellingham and everyone will focus on him.

“He’s got to come up with solutions. This is why we talk about players like Ronaldo, Messi, and Ryan Giggs. Next year will be tough for him, believe me.

“If he performs at the same level next year, I will be like ‘wow, you’re special,’ because he will face efforts to stop him and will need to come up with new ideas.”