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.
Manchester City have now joined the ever-growing list of admirers for Celta Vigo midfielder and Real Madrid target Gabri Veiga, reports Jack Gaughan of the Daily Mail.
The 20-year-old midfielder has emerged as one of the breakout stars of La Liga this season, having impressed with his goalscoring abilities from the centre of the park. Indeed, the youngster has notched up nine goals in La Liga and his exploits have made the giants of Europe sit up and take notice.
Real Madrid are said to be interested in Veiga’s services heading into the summer. The Merengues have Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Dani Ceballos on expiring contracts and it is unlikely that all three will be renewed, especially with Jude Bellingham being on the agenda.
In case of Modric and Kroos, even if they stay, it will likely be for only a season at the most. Hence, Los Blancos could require more than one central midfielder come summer, with Veiga emerging as an option.
The 20-year-old was also attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid. Now, Manchester City have also jumped on the bandwagon of clubs interested in Veiga’s services.
The Cityzens, who are battling Real Madrid for Bellingham as well, are set to lose Ilkay Gundogan in the summer when his contract expires. Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva’s future is also far from certain, thus necessitating the signing of another midfielder.
Veiga has a release clause worth €40 million in his contract with Celta Vigo, which should not be a problem for either Real Madrid or Manchester City.
Celta Vigo president Carlos Mourino recently admitted that the midfielder could leave the club in the summer, saying:
“We don’t want to sell Gabri Veiga, but they are going to buy him from us. And we can’t do anything there. We know some of his offers and it is impossible to reach them.
“There are several teams behind Gabri. Real Madrid? They haven’t asked us, we don’t know if they will have called the player. Of the top 10 in the Premier League, four have asked about him.”
It will certainly be interesting to see whether Real Madrid are prepared to go all out for Veiga’s signing or decide to entirely focus on their pursuit of Bellingham.
