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One transfer saga has come to an end today and it has been resolved with Real Madrid almost breaking their transfer record to lure one of the stars of the game, both currently and in the future. Carlo Ancelotti has been a long-term admirer of the man in question, and he should immediately slot into the heart of their midfield.
It was probably one of the worst kept secrets in football, but Real Madrid have indeed completed the signing of Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham on a six-year contract. He will be officially presented as a Real Madrid player tomorrow. Recently, he withdrew from the England squad ahead of their games with Malta and North Macedonia due to injury.
The Daily Mail has revealed that Dortmund will receive an initial fee of £88.5million from the La Liga giants, who helped the German side win the DFB-Pokal cup in 2021. Furthermore, the final owing amount is expected to eventually reach as much as £113.5million due to several performance-based add-ons.
This move continues the rapid rise of Bellingham, who only made his senior debut at club level in August 2019, when aged 16 at his boyhood club Birmingham City. He would break into the team during the 2019-20 campaign, playing over 40 times before Borussia Dortmund parted way with at least £25million to lure him to Bundesliga.
He would continue to excel at a higher level in a major European league, and would also experience UEFA Champions League football. In November 2020 he would make his senior England debut and has since gone on to become one of the first names on Gareth Southgate’s team sheet.
Bellingham would win the Bundesliga Player of the Season award based upon his performances over the last year, and it seemed only a matter of time before one of the top clubs in Europe made their move. Ancelotti identified Bellingham has the man to help boost a Real Madrid midfield that contains the ageing Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić.
Who are Real Madrid getting in Jude Bellingham?
The eventualities are endless when it comes to Bellingham. He is only 19 and so could feasibly spend at least ten years or so playing at Real Madrid. Form of course will dictate that, but the way he plays is very much in line for what modern day managers look for, particularly in central midfielders.
His energy is seemingly never-ending and he will charge up-and-down the Bernabeu offering box-to-box qualities to benefit the team. Although he paper he perhaps doesn’t look to be a big goalscorer, he has just enjoyed the best scoring season of his still rather short career to date. He is at a club that will further enhance with capabilities, so he will get even better.
It will be interesting to see exactly where he slots into the Real Madrid team. A lot may depend on if Modrić signs a new contract as that is due to expire in the next few weeks. Even so, Bellingham is the future, and the club have only ever spent more on a player when bringing Eden Hazard in 2019. His move did not work out, but there’s no doubt Bellingham should be big, big hit.
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