Real Madrid News
Real Madrid not willing to go over €120 million for priority summer target – report
By this point, it is no longer a secret that Real Madrid have made Jude Bellingham their top transfer target for the summer window later this year.
The 19-year-old has emerged as the most preferred candidate to replace Luka Modric in the long run at the Santiago Bernabeu, although it remains likely that the veteran will stay at the club for one more year.
However, Real Madrid are having to face stiff competition from Liverpool and Manchester City in the race for the England international.
Indeed, both the Premier League clubs also have their sights set on a summer move for Bellingham, complicating matters for the Merengues.
But, according to AS, Real Madrid do not intend to get into a bidding war with Manchester City and Liverpool in the race to sign Bellingham. And Los Blancos are not prepared to push for his services if the transfer fee goes past the €120 million mark.
Real Madrid believe that they cannot compete with the financial muscle of the Premier League giants and thus do not want to enter into a bidding war be it over the transfer fee or the player’s wages.
The same has been conveyed to Bellingham by the European champions as they believe that their history and success should be enough to attract the player without overpaying for him.
While the three clubs battle it out for the Englishman’s signing, his current team, Borussia Dortmund, are also unwilling to go down without a fight and want to keep him at Signal Iduna Park for at least one more season.
To that end, they are even considering offering him a new bumper contract which would make the teenager the highest-earning player at the club. A decision from Bellingham is understood to be imminent, with the player set to meet BVB officials in the near future to discuss his future.
And, it remains to be seen which way the former Birmingham City starlet leans as Real Madrid, Liverpool and Man City lie in wait.
According to AS, Real Madrid have sent a three-year contract offer with improved wages to Dani Ceballos and trust that the midfielder will continue at the club.
Ceballos is the last among the seven Los Blancos’ stars who entered the 2022/23 season with an expiring contract whose future is yet to be resolved.
Mariano Diaz, Marco Asensio, and Karim Benzema have all left Real Madrid while Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, and Nacho Fernandez are all set to continue at the Santiago Bernabeu for one more year.
As such, Ceballos remains the only player whose future remains unclear at this point.
The 26-year-old Spanish international has shown that he can offer value to the team and the club and manager Carlo Ancelotti are understood to ‘love’ him and want to retain his services.
Fans, too, made their feelings about the midfielder very clear this past weekend when Real Madrid played Athletic Club, as they chanted ‘Ceballos, stay!’
The Merengues have sent in a three-year proposal to the former Real Betis ace which includes an improvement in his wages. As such, the club expect him to pen the deal and continue at the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, Ceballos is yet to make a decision as he is weighing up the fact that he will have to compete for a place with six other midfielders.
Indeed, Real Madrid already have Kroos, Modric, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, and Aurelien Tchouameni as competition for Ceballos. Now, they will also add Jude Bellingham to the roster, further amping up the battle for places.
Ceballos has two more offers apart from the one from Real Madrid – one from Spain and Italy each, although his former club Real Betis have not sent a proposal yet.
With the season over and less than three weeks left on his contract, it remains to be seen what the Real Madrid ace decides.
