Real Madrid News
Real Madrid midfield target ‘very close’ to Liverpool move – report
Borussia Dortmund midfielder and Real Madrid transfer target Jude Bellingham is very close to signing for Premier League giants Liverpool.
This claim comes from BILD journalist Christian Falk, who stated on his appearance on The Anfield Wrap Podcast that the 19-year-old and his family preferred a move to the Merseyside heavyweights over Los Blancos.
Bellingham has been at Dortmund since the summer of 2020, when he joined from Birmingham City and has become one of the faces of the Bundesliga during his time at Signal Iduna Park.
The teenager is now starring for the England national team at the FIFA World Cup, helping the Three Lions book a place in the quarter-finals of the competition in Qatar.
Naturally, he has attracted the attention of a host of top clubs across Europe, including Real Madrid. Los Blancos had identified Bellingham as their main target for the summer of 2023 as they seek to complete the transition in their midfield department.
Luka Modric is in the final phase of his career and Toni Kroos is yet to decide on whether he will sign a new contract or not. So, the Merengues will need to bring in a new, younger midfielder to partner the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga in the long run.
And Bellingham was seen as the ideal fit at the Santiago Bernabeu. But with his valuation shooting up close to €150 million, Real Madrid have taken a backseat in their pursuit of the Englishman.
At the same time, Liverpool have jumped ahead of the queue, with Falk reporting that the 19-year-old and his family prefer a move to Anfield over the Bernabeu.
The German journalist adds that the reason behind Bellingham leaning towards Liverpool is that he believes Real Madrid already have enough players in the position and that he could grow into a leader in the middle of the park if he were to join the Reds.
So, as things stand, a move to Anfield seems to be getting closer for Bellingham, although things can change quickly in the transfer market.
Real Madrid will be looking to pick up their fifth win of the 2026/27 La Liga season when they take on Elche CF at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero later tonight.
With 12 points from five games, Los Blancos are currently second in the league table, three points below leaders FC Barcelona.
As such, the Spanish capital club will be eager to get the win and close the gap to the top.
Guler starts, Bellingham rested
Ahead of kickoff, Real Madrid have announced the starting lineup that will take the field against Elche, with Jose Mourinho making some important changes.
For starters, Arda Guler is back in the lineup after appearing as a substitute in the win over Rayo Vallecano.
Interestingly, however, he starts in the attacking midfield role, with Mourinho opting to rest Jude Bellingham, who has started all of Real Madrid’s games so far.
That also means that Yan Diomande retains his place in the team, starting for a second time in a row on the right wing. Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. continue in their respective positions in attack.
Another notable change sees Aurelien Tchouameni make his first start of the season after recovering from injury and making two appearances off the bench.
He replaces Bernardo Silva as Federico Valverde’s partner in the middle of the park.
Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marc Cucurella come in as full-backs, while Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen slot in at centre-back in front of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
📋✅ ¡Nuestro XI inicial!
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) September 15, 2026
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