Report: Jude Bellingham Close to Completing Deal to Join Real Madrid

Borussia Dortmund’s star midfielder, Jude Bellingham, appears to have found his next destination. It’s reported by both Fabrizio Romano and DW Sports that the 19-year-old is close to joining Real Madrid.

Throughout this season, rumors about Bellingham’s future began to swirl, including the possibility of a contract extension, but it appears that Bellingham has opted for sunny weather and the reigning Champions League winners and current semi finalists. Real Madrid appear to have beaten out Premier League competition from Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Chelsea. So, what do I make of this?

First things first, the deal isn’t a certainty yet. While Bellingham’s camp made have a verbal agreement with Real Madrid, the two teams are yet to reach an agreement with Borussia Dortmund. Florian Plettenberg has stated there isn’t even an offer yet. Despite this, we can probably assume that if Bellingham’s reached an agreement with Real Madrid on his own, he’ll probably end up there by the end of the summer.

First let’s look at the economics. The deal is rumored to be worth in excess of €120 million. This would not only put Bellingham up there with the most expensive transfers in history, it would also give Dortmund a sizable purse to pursue new transfers. Additionally, the contract being touted is for six years and will probably pay Bellingham an exorbitant wage as it leads into his prime years. Sounds like both he and Dortmund will feel the financial boon from this one.

As for on the pitch, it’ll be near impossible to replace Bellingham. During his three years at Dortmund, Bellingham has grown into Dortmund’s best player, racking up 21 goals and 24 assists for the club, and becoming the team’s third-choice captain at just 19 years old. With Mahmoud Dahoud already set to leave in the summer, Bellingham’s departure would leave Dortmund exceptionally thin in midfield next season, with only Emre Can and Salih Ozcan, who has been less than convincing, as the two remaining ‘traditional’ midfielders. While Kehl will have his war chest full heading into this transfer window, he has a lot of work to do.

Your Thoughts

Let us know your thoughts on this! Are you surprised by this reported outcome? Do you think it’s the right move for Bellingham? What does Dortmund have to do in the coming months as a response?