Real Madrid News
Borussia Dortmund intent on renewing €150 million-rated Real Madrid target
Jude Bellingham is set to spark a major transfer war in the coming months. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder is one of the most sought-after commodities in the market heading into the summer.
Top clubs like Real Madrid, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea are all vying to sign up the 19-year-old England international.
At the same time, Borussia Dortmund are unwilling to go down without a fight and are set to make all the efforts to tie and keep hold of their prized asset.
Indeed, the Bundesliga club’s director, Sebastian Kehl, confirmed in a recent interview that he fully intends to offer a new contract to Bellingham so that he can stay at Signal Iduna Park beyond the current season.
“I will try to extend his contract, yes,” Kehl told ZDF (h/t Fabrizio Romano). “We have not spoken with Jude and his family yet. The player is relaxed and focused on football.”
Bellingham’s current contract with Dortmund runs until the summer of 2025, which already puts them in a solid position to negotiate a significant fee for the Englishman.
As per reports, if they are unable to renew the former Birmingham City ace, the Black and Yellows will hold out for a massive €150 million for their prized asset.
While Real Madrid remain keenly interested in Bellingham, the reigning champions of Spain and Europe are unwilling to meet that valuation in the summer.
The Premier League clubs have the financial might to match the €150 million valuation for Bellingham while they would also be in a position to offer him a much more lucrative contract as well.
At the same time, with Dortmund striving to keep hold of the 19-year-old, Real Madrid’s prospects of signing him are starting to diminish slowly.
After a month into the new season, Aurelien Tchouameni is finally back in action for Real Madrid.
The Frenchman made his first appearance of the season for the Merengues last night against Inter Milan after recovering from the muscular injury that delayed his campaign.
His return to fitness had raised questions over where he would fit into Mourinho’s plans.
Tchouameni has been a regular in Real Madrid’s midfield for several seasons under different managers, but the end of last season was far less straightforward.
His confrontation with Federico Valverde, combined with speculation over his future at the club, created uncertainty about his position. His lack of a proper pre-season also appeared to put him behind other midfield options.
Bernardo Silva had established himself as an important figure, while Eduardo Camavinga was also ahead of Tchouameni in terms of match fitness.
With Real Madrid looking for greater creativity in midfield, there were questions over whether the Frenchman would still be a first-choice player.
Key for Mourinho
According to AS (h/t Bernabeu Digital), however, Mourinho has no such doubts. Tchouameni remains a key player for the Portuguese coach and is expected to be a starter.
Mourinho sees the French international as a midfielder without a direct replacement in the squad.
For Jose, Tchouameni provides something that none of the other midfielders in the squad do – a more defensive and positional presence, combining his tactical discipline with considerable physical strength.
His ability to shield the defence and provide balance could be particularly important for a Real Madrid side that want to defend aggressively and attack quickly in transition.
For that reason, his absence at the start of the campaign has not changed the manager’s view of his importance.
Mourinho faces a midfield selection problem
The challenge for Mourinho now is finding a way to fit all the pieces together.
If Tchouameni is guaranteed a starting position and Valverde is considered untouchable as captain, the obvious consequence is that Bernardo could find himself starting from the bench.
The summer arrival had been given an important role in helping Real Madrid control and distribute possession from deeper positions.
However, with Tchouameni and Valverde both occupying midfield places, Mourinho cannot accommodate everyone in the same lineup.
How the Portuguese coach manages that competition will be interesting to see in the coming weeks.
