Details of Bellingham's transfer saga to Real Madrid

FOOTBALL Details of Bellingham's transfer saga to Real Madrid

Mark Kinyanjui 16:00 - 09.05.2023

The 20-year-old has reportedly agreed a deal in principle to join the 14-time Champions League winners.

Borussia Dortmund’s highly-sought after midfielder, Jude Bellingham has revealed he would be excited to join Real Madrid this summer.

Madrid want him to become a key part of their next generation, the one that will inaugurate the newly rebuilt Santiago Bernabeu.

However, multiple sources are not sure whether this means Madrid have concluded a definitive agreement with the midfielder, as has been reported elsewhere.

According to Fabrizio Romano, no agreement has been reached between both clubs, although there is an agreement in principle between both clubs to see the England international move to Los Blancos.

However, they have always considered themselves in a disadvantaged position compared to Liverpool and Manchester City, who have also shown strong interest in signing Bellingham, although the Merseyside club dropped out of the running last month.

The Spanish champions do not believe they can offer him as much money as City, and their valuation of the player is lower than Dortmund’s asking price of €150 million (£131.8m; $165.6m).

Sources point to the example of how Madrid signed Aurelien Tchouameni from AS Monaco last summer. They say that Bellingham’s arrival would have to follow the same sequence of events: the player would have to choose Madrid, where he would earn less money, and the selling club (Dortmund) would have to accept a lower offer than the one English clubs might be able to put together.

According to The Athletic, Club sources indicate they are willing to make an effort for Bellingham, but always explain their thinking with the caveat that they have no plans to do anything “crazy”, or enter into an auction with Premier League rivals who can afford to spend more.

Spanish sports daily Marca published a news article reporting that Madrid had agreed almost everything required for the transfer to go ahead, both with Dortmund and the player.

But hours later Marca amended the story to report Real had come to an agreement with Bellingham only. Something similar happened with the other major Madrid-based sports newspaper, Diario AS.

At Madrid’s training ground, the soap opera is being followed with great interest. Developments have also been met with some surprise in the dressing room.

Toni Kroos has already signed for one more year and club president Florentino Perez told Luka Modric in a meeting in March that he wants the Croatian playmaker to renew his contract.

With Dani Ceballos, whose contract expires in the summer, the situation is not as clear, but even if he doesn’t stay, Madrid will still have Kroos and Modric. Both are players who Ancelotti adores and finds difficult to bench. You then understand why they are eyeing Bellingham as a replacement.

However, the Englishman would also face competition for a starting spot from Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga, who is in talks to renew his contract and who Perez wants to be played more as a midfielder than a left-back, as well as Tchouameni, who has seen first-team opportunities limited.

After what happened with Mbappe the club prefers to be cautious over Bellingham’s potential arrival.

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