Real Madrid News
Liverpool pulled out of Bellingham race because of one major reason – report
Jude Bellingham has never been closer to joining Real Madrid. The English international has been the biggest talking point ahead of the summer transfer market, and it is only poetic that the story ended with the club he most desired.
According to reports from James Pearce (h/t Madrid Xtra), Bellingham’s preference has been known for a long time. In fact, it even had a role to play in facilitating his move to Real Madrid.
The English journalist reports that one of the major factors behind Liverpool’s decision to drop out of the Bellingham bandwagon was the fact that his entourage refused to call Anfield their destination of choice.
The midfielder wanted Real Madrid all along and only entertained other options as a probable backup plan.
The race to sign Bellingham began with a host of clubs scouting his profile. Soon, it boiled down to only three candidates- Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester City. The exit of Jurgen Klopp’s side from the arena made it a two-horse race.
Pep Guardiola’s side offered the Borussia Dortmund star a more lucrative package with a prominent role with the UCL finalists. Even money did not change Bellingham’s mind, and the end result was an agreement with Real Madrid.
The youngster had the chance to win Bundesliga with the yellow-and-black colours last night, but an untimely slip-up saw them lose grip over the title and surrender it to Bayern Munich once again.
After the game, Bellingham’s mother was seen thanking the Dortmund staff with gifts and all but confirmed the news of his departure.
An agreement appears to be in place between the two clubs, and it is only a matter of time before the deal is made official. One can hope to see the protege in white colours as early as the preseason campaign.
Real Madrid News
Bellingham on his special assist in Girona 0-3 Real Madrid: “Been watching Luka every day”
Real Madrid usurped the top spot in the La Liga standings from arch-rivals FC Barcelona as they defeated Girona 3-0 away at Estadi Montilivi.
It was a fine performance from Carlo Ancelotti’s men against Michel’s side, with the returning Jude Bellingham leading the way for his team.
After being benched against Las Palmas in midweek, the England international returned to the starting XI today and turned in yet another Man of the Match display for Real Madrid.
It all started with Joselu opening the scoring just 15 minutes into the game, with Bellingham assisting the goal with a special, outside-of-the-boot pass from the left side, bringing back memories of Luka Modric doing something similar a few years ago.
Talking about that special pass, Bellingham said: “I’ve been watching Luka every day for months. I just want to be creative. It took the pressure off us at the start.”
On the match and the result, the 20-year-old stated that it was a good day across the board for Real Madrid, as he said: “It was an important win. They were doing very well. We made a statement of intent to La Liga. Three goals, a clean sheet….”
It has been a truly remarkable start to life at Real Madrid for Bellingham and expressing how he feels to play for the Merengues, he exclaimed:
“I feel very good. I have freedom of movement and I’m enjoying football. Whenever I put on this shirt I always try to do my best.”
Apart from assisting Joselu’s opener, Bellingham also got his name on the scoresheet in the second period. Talking about his goal, the wonderkid said:
“It wasn’t a very good finish. I could have scored some more, but the important thing is the victory.”
The strike meant that Bellingham now has seven goals and two assists across all competitions for Real Madrid. Reflecting on his brilliant start, he said:
“It’s a good start, not bad. I would like to continue on this path and I won’t always score or assist, but I will always give my best.”
Bellingham’s celebration has been a huge hit, with kids in school, players from other clubs, and many others mimicking it. When asked how his special celebration originated, he replied:
“I don’t know where I first celebrated. I think it was with Birmingham. It’s an inspiration to see kids doing it in schools. It’s a wonderful thing.”
Source: AS
