Jude Bellingham: Liverpool vs Manchester as Real Madrid drop back

Suraj Radia

• Updated: 6 Feb 2023 20:41 GMT
• 2 min read

Real Madrid are reportedly operating on the belief that their priority transfer target for the summer, Jude Bellingham, is likely to move to the Premier League rather than join the Spanish side.

Bellingham is set to leave Borussia Dortmund this summer and become arguably the most coveted player on the market, with the 19-year-old expected to command a fee of around €150 million.

Madrid have been working on a deal for Bellingham for a number of months, with chief scout Juni Calafat communicating with the player’s family in the hopes of convincing them of a move to the club.

However, with Liverpool and Manchester City also pushing hard for Bellingham, Real are slowly becoming resigned to the fact that they may not be able to compete with the Premier League’s financial muscle.

REVEALED: Real Madrid's Bellingham alternatives

The Athletic claims that, while Real will continue to work on a deal, the club are realistic that any proposal to both Bellingham and Dortmund may be below the amount offered by Premier League clubs.

While Bellingham is not believed to be solely prioritising money with his decision, he has yet to reveal his preferred destination and Real would require him to follow the example of Aurelien Tchouameni, who rejected Liverpool as he only wished to move to Madrid last summer.

Why Premier League sides will have the edge for Bellingham

La Liga sides spent £25m collectively in January, while 10 of the 20 Premier League clubs spent more than that, highlighting the gulf between English teams and the rest of Europe.

Chelsea spent £290m in January on the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez, moves which are believed to have further reinforced Dortmund’s resolve to demand a potential world-record fee for Bellingham.

The German side are still hoping to agree terms on a new deal for Bellingham but they also feel that Premier League teams may be in pole position to sign their talismanic midfielder.

A NEW CHALLENGER APPEARS: Newcastle enter Bellingham race

Bellingham’s current deal expires in 2025 and he has already allegedly told the club he would like to leave in the summer after three seasons in Germany.