Real Madrid News
Real Madrid target did not want to join a club ruled by “Sheikhs” or a country
Real Madrid appear to be in pole position to secure the services of Jude Bellingham this summer. The club have reached an understanding with the young midfielder over a summer switch to Santiago Bernabeu, though they must now reach an agreement with Borussia Dortmund.
Real Madrid are said to be proposing a figure of €100 million as their opening bid for Bellingham. But no matter what happens with their negotiations with Dortmund, it appears Bellingham himself has his heart set on a move to Spain.
In a recent YouTube session with Fabrizio Romano, German journalist Patrick Berger has revealed that the reason behind Bellingham’s decision to join Real Madrid is that he did not want to join a club ruled by Sheikhs.
Berger goes on to explain that Bellingham also did not want to join a club owned by a country, such as Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle United and Chelsea. He described the transfer strategies of these clubs as ‘crazy’.
Berger adds that Bellingham always wanted to join a traditional club, which is why the midfielder was torn between Liverpool and Real Madrid.
The Englishman ended up opting for Real Madrid for various reasons, including the club’s sporting prospects, especially with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos unlikely to continue at the Bernabeu beyond 2024.
With Bellingham firmly in the bag, Real Madrid will look to shift their focus onto other targets. It was revealed recently that Los Blancos might fancy a move for Kylian Mbappe, but signing the Frenchman in the coming summer could be tricky, notes Romano.
Apart from a midfielder and a striker, Real Madrid are likely to enter the market for a new right-back. Interestingly, former youth player and another PSG star Achraf Hakimi is open to a return to Bernabeu.
Real Madrid are looking towards a heavy splurge in the coming summer transfer window. After all, they do not even have another option given the sheer number of player departures already finalized.
Los Blancos have lost the services of Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio, Mariano Diaz, and Eden Hazard over the past week. While three of the four players predominantly featured on the bench, their presence in the squad gave Carlo Ancelotti’s side much-needed depth and a cushion of sorts.
The forward unit is, thus, the most prioritized department ahead of the transfer window. However, pieces are beginning to fall apart on other fronts and could potentially put the club in a difficult situation.
According to reports from Gianluca Di Marzio, Juventus are eyeing Lucas Vazquez and hope to sign him in the coming month. Contacts between the two parties have begun and the transfer fee discussed appears to be around the €6 million to €8 million ballpark given that he has just one year left on his contract.
The player, for his part, is willing to sign for the Italian giants given his relative lack of minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu. At 31 years of age, he understandably does not want to play a second-fiddle role.
Vasquez played part in 23 of Real Madrid’s 38 La Liga games last season, starting only on 12 occasions. Even in his few appearances, he averaged a mere 50 minutes per game.
The veteran completed the season with four goals and an assist to his name. Further, he averaged five defensive actions and a key pass in every game and feels hard done by his limited role.
Vazquez’s departure would place the club in a tricky situation as it would leave Real Madrid with only Dani Carvajal as a natural right-back option. Nacho Fernandez could, in theory, serve as the backup but a new signing for the position cannot be ruled out.
