Real Madrid News
Real Madrid set to start serious talks with Dortmund for Jude Bellingham – report
At this point, it is no secret that Real Madrid have made it an absolute priority to sign Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund next summer.
The 19-year-old is widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best, young midfielders in the game currently and has been making all the right noises since his move to Germany from Birmingham City in 2020.
A mainstay in the Dortmund side, the teenager has even captained the team on a few occasions this term, indicating the level of maturity and talent that he boasts.
Naturally, several top clubs, including the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea, have all been casting admiring glances towards the teenage sensation.
But, according to recent reports, Real Madrid are leading the race to sign Bellingham, having already ‘sold’ him their project.
The England international is also believed to have made it a priority to join the current champions of Spain and Europe next year.
With things seemingly starting to move behind the scenes, journalist Rodrigo Faez (h/t Madrid Xtra) has claimed that Real Madrid will soon initiate serious talks with Borussia Dortmund for the signing of Bellingham.
It is claimed that Los Blancos will start negotiations with the Black and Yellows in the next days or weeks. It would be the right move from Real Madrid, as they should look to close the deal at the earliest possible and avoid any chance of a late bidding war with the Premier League clubs.
Bellingham’s contract with Dortmund runs until the summer of 2025, meaning he still has more than two years left on his deal. That puts the German outfit in a strong negotiating position and they could demand a hefty sum for their midfield prodigy.
However, given Real Madrid’s healthy financial position, the Spanish capital club should have the wherewithal to meet those demands.
It is astounding that despite being the biggest club in Spain, Real Madrid do not have many Spanish players to show for it.
Los Blancos do indeed boast of a special diversity in the dressing room, but their lack of locally trained players could pose problems according to MARCA.
The Spanish outlet confirms that UEFA does not mandate the inclusion of any minimum number of locally grown players for a club. However, the Spanish federation stipulates that a club in Spain must boast of at least eight players who meet a specific set of conditions.
Of the aforementioned eight candidates, there must be at least four players who have spent three seasons or 36 months at the club between the ages of 15 and 21.
Currently, only Nacho Fernandez, Dani Carvajal, Lucas Vazquez, Federico Valverde, Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and Mariano make up the required number on that front.
The problem, however, arises with the condition for the other four players in the list of eight. RFEF stipulates that the second set of four players must have completed at least 36 months in teams attached to the federation of Spain between the ages of 15 and 21.
Only Jesus Vallejo, Alvaro Odriozola, Marco Asensio and Dani Ceballos tick the aforementioned box. However, all four players have uncertain futures at the club and are well-placed to depart in the summer.
There are thus big decisions to be taken over the transfer strategy for June. Real Madrid can work ways to ship all four players out, it would require the re-integration of players like Sergio Arribas, Miguel Gutierrez or Fran Garcia to ensure the fulfilment of the criteria.
With both Vallejo and Odriozola seemingly frozen out of Ancelotti’s plans, their departures from Santiago Bernabeu appear inevitable. Thus, the management could be forced to renew one of Asensio or Ceballos come June.
