Author: Vishwajit Sawant
According to reports, Real Madrid are close to securing the signing of talented midfielder Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund, with the deal said to be “almost done”.
The 19-year-old was a target for Real Madrid and Manchester City, but it seems that the Spanish club have been working on the transfer for months, and are now expected to sign the youngster on a six-year contract.
However, Sky Germany has clarified that an official offer from Real Madrid has not yet been made, despite advanced personal talks.
While Borussia Dortmund reportedly received substantial offers from Manchester City and Liverpool, Jude Bellingham seems to have preferred Real Madrid, thanks to his outstanding performances in the Champions League in recent years.
The English midfielder is also impressed with Real Madrid’s emphasis on young players, both on and off the pitch, which may have influenced his decision to join them over other clubs.
Real Madrid have had success in securing young midfield signings in the past, such as Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, and have now adopted a similar approach in their pursuit of Jude Bellingham.
The club is expected to negotiate with Dortmund to reduce the asking price from €140 million (£123.7 million / $154.5 million) to a range between €100 (£88.3 million / $110.4 million) and €120 (£106.0 million / $132 million). This is unlikely to create significant obstacles in their discussions, according to MARCA. The Madrid-based publication notes that Los Blancos have had success in previous transfer negotiations, and hope to secure a deal for Bellingham in the same way.
Jude Bellingham, who has contributed 11 goals and seven assists for Borussia Dortmund this season, is currently one point behind Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga title race.