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Jude Bellingham has finally put an end to the rumours about his next destination by joining Spanish giants Real Madrid.
The midfielder joins the La Liga outfit from Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, where he spent three years after his switch from Championship club Birmingham.
Bellingham made 132 appearances for the German outfit, scoring 24 goals and registering 25 assists, with his displays in black and yellow earning him a lucrative move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
The deal is for an initial fee of £88.5m, with the 19-year-old signing a six-year contract with Los Blancos.
What shirt number will Bellingham wear?
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Bellingham has history with shirt numbers, with Birmingham retiring his number 22 jersey upon his transfer to Borussia Dortmund.
It left many people scratching their heads at the time, but those in the Midlands clearly had high hopes for their young star, and now they have been proven right.
The midfield maestro continued in his number 22 jersey in the Bundesliga, but now things – for the first time in his club career – are taking a new turn.
Bellingham has worn various numbers for England at international level, but as for his upcoming spell at Real Madrid, the midfielder has been handed the number five jersey.
It is an iconic club with an iconic stadium, but Bellingham has now found himself in an especially iconic position with his new number.
Who else wore number five at Real Madrid?
Unsurprisingly, there have already been plenty of legendary Real Madrid players to have worn the same shirt number that Bellingham has been handed.
Of course it is partly down to his position in central midfield that he will wear the number five, but it perhaps also shows just how much his new club values him and how key a player they think he will be in the years to come.
Legendary figure Fernando Hierro wore the number five shirt at Los Blancos, as did no-nonsense centre-back Raphael Varane.
His fellow centre-back and Italian hero Fabio Cannavaro was another to have played in that number during his time at the Spanish club, but perhaps even they cannot be compared to the legend that is Zinedine Zidane.
The Frenchman would later manage the club very successfully, but on the pitch, his iconic number five jersey will never be forgotten, with Bellingham undoubtedly aiming to have a similar impact at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Bellingham ‘grateful’ for Madrid move
Bellingham was linked with countless clubs before he made the switch to Spain, with the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United just a handful of the top teams who were reportedly chasing his signature.
But he has made his decision, and it is one that excites him massively, with the young midfielder very grateful to the Spanish giants for taking a chance on him.
“Real Madrid is the greatest club in history and there aren’t many players who get to play for such a magnificent and historic club,” said Bellingham, as quoted by the official Real Madrid website.
“I’m very grateful to those who brought me here. I don’t think about money when I make these kinds of decisions. It’s not important to me. It’s the sport I love and I love the feeling at Real Madrid and how I feel about the club.”
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