Jude Bellingham picks Real Madrid’s next signing as chances of Liverpool deal INCREASING

Robin Bairner
Robin Bairner
  • Updated: 14 Aug 2025 10:58 BST
  • 4 min read
Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid, 2025/26
© IMAGO

Real Madrid have been receiving transfer advice from midfielder Jude Bellingham, who has told the Bernabeu club that they should be moving for a player who has been dubbed ‘the English Kroos’.

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Los Blancos have spent close to €170 million this summer attracting the likes of Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold to the club, but Bellingham wants to see another Premier League star join him in the Spanish capital.

Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton is the player that the England midfielder wants to team up with in Madrid, according to a report from Sport.

Current ETV
Player image Adam Wharton
Adam Wharton

M (C)

C. Palace logo

C. Palace

Adam Wharton
Adam Wharton

M (C)

C. Palace

C. Palace

€55.4M

ETV Range

€49.9M - €61M

Real Madrid are ‘seriously assessing’ the possibility of a move, with Bellingham “convinced that he would fit perfectly into the style that Xabi Alonso wants to implement”.

Wharton is seen as a player reminiscent of Toni Kroos, who Los Blancos have not replaced since he retired last summer. Although he is not a goal scorer, his creative qualities are appreciated at the Bernabeu.

Real Madrid are expected to register Facundo Mastantuono with their reserve team on Thursday, leaving them space in their first team for one more player. Rather than signing Wharton, though, a deal for a centre-back looks more probable.

Adam Wharton: Dubbed the 'English Kroos'
© IMAGO - Adam Wharton: Dubbed the 'English Kroos'

Late Konate deal

A last-minute bid for Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate is looking increasingly likely, according to AS.

Konate is out of contract next summer and has yet to sign a new deal at Anfield. With the prospect of losing him for nothing looming – something the Premier League champions nearly saw happen with Trent Alexander-Arnold – Real Madrid are hoping to tempt the Reds into a sale.

With Liverpool closing in on a centre-back double deal to snap up Palace’s Marc Guehi and Parma’s Giovanni Leoni, Los Blancos believe the door is open to a move.

Madrid are ready to lowball the Anfield club on Konate, with a bid around €20-25m expected. The 26-year-old has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of more than €40m, so expect Liverpool to dismiss any offer around this level.

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