GALACTIC WORTHY: Jude Bellingham of Dortmund famous. Photo: AP Photo/Martin Meissner
Real Madrid are close to reaching an agreement to sign Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund. The English midfielder has been targeted by Premier League clubs Manchester City, but negotiations with Madrid are moving towards the final.
The Champions League champions have almost reached a private agreement with Bellingham and the works of their head scout, Juni Calafat, have been in fast-paced discussions so far. A meeting is scheduled to reach an agreement with Dortmund.
Although no fees have been paid, Madrid does foresee disorders in this regard. The departure of the Spanish club is a blow to City, its biggest serious rival in the hunt for Bellingham, which turns 20 in June.
Liverpool withdrew from the race last month because the charge would have limited the planned overhaul of Jurgen Klopp’s team. Manchester United cares about the player, but that interest depended on the Glazers’ decisions to sell the club or draw on outside investment.
Bellingham joined Dortmund from Birmingham in 2020 and has one of the most sought-after players in the world. For Madrid, there are succession plans and short-term thinking to target Bellingham, with Toni Kroos and Luka Modric aged 33 and 37 respectively.
Madrid have been a long way off in La Liga this season, with Tuesday’s loss to Real Sociedad leaving them with 14 problems. Barcelona, which is on the verge of winning the title, is still in contention for two trophies.
They will face City in the Champions League semi-finals, with the first leg at the Bernabeu on Tuesday, and Osasuna in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday.
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