Real Madrid have won the race for Jude Bellingham.
Borussia Dortmund confirmed Wednesday that an agreement is in place to sell their star midfielder to the Spanish club in a transfer worth an initial €103 million. Dortmund can also receive up to 30% of the fixed fee in add-ons, bringing the potential value of the deal to nearly €134 million.
Bellingham is expected to undergo a medical in the coming days before finalizing his switch to the Santiago Bernabeu. The England international will sign a six-year contract with Real Madrid that pays him around €10 million per season, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.
The 19-year-old was one of the most coveted players on the market heading into the summer window, with Premier League giants Manchester City and Liverpool also vying for his signature. The Reds pulled out of the race in April, reportedly balking at the overall cost of a potential deal.
Bellingham, recently named the Bundesliga’s player of the season, played 132 games for Dortmund after joining the club from Birmingham City in 2020.
He made 31 league appearances for Dortmund in 2022-23, often captaining the side. The teen sensation helped the club to within an inch of the Bundesliga title, finishing second to Bayern Munich on goal difference. Bellingham scored eight goals and provided four assists on the campaign.
He has also established himself as an instrumental part of Gareth Southgate’s England squad, starting all five of the Three Lions’ matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
He’ll join a Madrid side that has established a clear succession plan in midfield. Carlo Ancelotti’s team, after relying on the vaunted trio of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Casemiro for so long, will now go into the 2023-24 campaign – and beyond – with Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, and Federico Valverde patrolling the center of the pitch.
Valverde, at only 24, is the oldest of the quartet.
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