Jude Bellingham on his way to Real Madrid

Jude Bellingham, the great signing of Real Madrid for this summer, is very close to joining the Spanish team.

According to Madrid sources in statements to The Athletic, Bellingham said that he would be excited to be transferred and that he loved the project that had been prepared for him. Madrid wants him to be an important part of the generation that will inaugurate the renovated Santiago Bernabéu.

However, The Athletic is not clear if this means that Madrid have made a definitive deal with the midfielder. Multiple sources with knowledge of the matter also declined to comment.

And on Wednesday, sources in Madrid denied reports to The Athletic that a deal or prestigious deal had been made with Borussia Dortmund. Other sources on the matter said the clubs have yet to make final negotiations on the fee.

Madrid’s sources have always spoken cautiously about possible transfers, and there are multiple reasons for this.

They have long been at a disadvantage, with Liverpool and Manchester City also showing keen interest in signing Bellingham, but the Merseyside club withdrew from the race last month.

Photo: Reuters.

MADRID SAYS ‘150 MILLION EUROS IS A LOT’

The Spanish team feels that they cannot offer as much money as Manchester City and that the player’s value is less than the 150 million euros that Dortmund is asking for. As previously reported by The Athletic, Madrid plans to bid around 100 million euros.

Although Madrid has begun to feel more hopeful with the talks in recent weeks, they are still taking cautious steps. Sources say the process they went through when they signed Aurelien Tchouameni from AS Monaco last summer should also apply to the Bellingham transfer. In other words, the player has to choose Madrid and the selling club will have to accept a lower offer than the one that English clubs can generate.

Madrid sources say they are willing to make an effort for Bellingham, but also point out that they will not hold an auction with their Premier League rivals and have no plans to spend more money. They point out that the excellent relations between Madrid and Dortmund could have helped in this transfer, but that both clubs were only defending their own interests.

It is also claimed that Madrid are aware that if Dortmund do not decide to sell this summer, they will be in a weaker negotiating position next year, given that Bellingham’s current contract is set to expire in June 2025.