Liverpool’s gain is Newcastle’s loss as report suggests Madrid identify Bellingham alternative
Real Madrid will reportedly try to convince Liverpool target Jude Bellingham to leave Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2024, not at the end of 2022-23.
Bellingham is expected to leave Dortmund this summer in a deal worth at least £120million.
He has impressed for the Bundesliga side and England having moved to Germany from Birmingham City in July 2020.
Madrid, Liverpool and Man City are believed to be the frontrunners to sign the 19-year-old, though Bayern Munich, Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal are also interested.
Given the nature of how much interest there is in the player, there are updates about Bellingham’s future every single day.
Today’s episode of Where Will Bellingham Go? is a good one for Liverpool fans, it would seem.
Spanish outlet Diario AS claim that Real Madrid want to sign the teenager next year.
The situation of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos has made the club’s pursuit hit a ‘disturbing stand-by’ as they rely on the experienced midfielders significantly reducing their salaries if a deal is to be struck at the end of 22-23.
Los Blancos cannot afford to spend £120m or more on Bellingham at this moment in time and hope Dortmund and the player are willing to wait until 2024.
This does seem unlikely, unless Bellingham signs a new Dortmund contract to preserve his transfer value. Furthermore, it hasn’t been made clear that his top choice is Madrid, so would he really delay his transfer for another year to suit them?
Having said that, remaining in Germany is certainly not ruled out and should Dortmund qualify for the Champions League, Bellingham could decide against a summer switch.
The AS report states that Dortmund are very eager to sit down with the 19-year-old to discuss his future, but he is in no rush to hold these talks.
“Jude feels very, very comfortable at Borussia Dortmund,” the club’s sporting director Sebastian Kehl recently said. “But we haven’t had any new conversations yet or received offers for him.
“He still has two more years on his contract and is a very important piece of this team.
“We need Jude to achieve the goals this season and we are glad that he is so focused on football and that there is no room for other issues in his head at the moment.”
Should Madrid miss out on Bellingham, it has been reported that they could turn their attention to Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes.
The Magpies are absolutely filthy rich and will have no desire, or need, to sell the Brazilian midfielder.
Interest in Guimaraes has been reported by Mundo Deportivo.
‘Top clubs’ are ‘interested’ in signing the former Lyon man, including the European champions, the report states.
The 25-year-old is apparently attracting interest from Chelsea and Liverpool, as well as Madrid.
READ MORE: How safe is Eddie Howe once Newcastle Wembley giddiness wears off?