Real Madrid News
Real Madrid unwilling to offer more than €100 million to sign Bundesliga wonderkid
At this point, Real Madrid’s interest in signing Jude Bellingham remains no secret.
It seems as if Los Blancos’ plan is to replace their legendary midfield trio of Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
With Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga brought in as the successor to Casemiro and Kroos respectively, the search for a replacement for Modric continues.
While the Englishman has been earmarked as the ideal heir for the Croatian, a new revelation suggests that the club have set limits on their desire to secure his signature.
As per a report by AS, Real Madrid are unwilling to go beyond the €100 million mark to sign Jude Bellingham next summer.
The Athletic recently reported that the German side intend to extend the midfield dynamo’s deal beyond 2025 and had made contact for the same. It has also been mentioned that the club are keen on inserting a €150 million release clause for their most prized asset.
Whilst such revelations may worry Madridistas, it has previously been speculated that Los Merengues instructed Bellingham to reject a contract extension, which has been taken on board by the player.
It is commendable to see Carlo Ancelotti’s men refuse to budge on their valuation for the England international, despite their appreciation for his well-rounded skillset.
With the European champions still having the reputation of being lavish spenders since the ‘Galacticos’ era, one must have expected the club to go all in their pursuit of the ex-Birmingham City starlet.
However, it is key to note that Real Madrid have other priority positions as well, such as bringing in another forward as an understudy to Karim Benzema.
As a result, the club’s approach to budgeting their chase for Bellingham is astute, to say the least.
The cloud of uncertainty over Karim Benzema’s future has served as a major headache for the Real Madrid board, as they kickstart their team planning ahead of the new season.
Recent reports claim the Frenchman is strongly considering a move to Saudi Arabia, after receiving a lucrative €150 million offer from Al Ittihad. He was close to renewing his contract at Santiago Bernabeu not too long ago, but it appears the tables have turned lately.
Nevertheless, Real Madrid are yet to give up on Benzema and still harbour hopes of renewing his contract in the coming weeks, reports Alfredo Matilla.
The Spanish journalist suggests Real Madrid have not closed the file on Benzema. Coach Carlo Ancelotti has recently met the forward to clarify his future and it appears the club are set to do everything they can to keep hold of the player.
Benzema’s departure, after all, could put the club in a major dilemma, where they must either sign a top-class striker or settle for a low-cost alternative for the entirety of next season.
Harry Kane has been earmarked as the ideal replacement for Benzema. But his acquisition could potentially jeopardise Real Madrid’s bid to sign either Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe in 2024. The club have also faced difficulties negotiating with Daniel Levy, the Spurs chairman.
As far as the low-cost options are concerned, Real Madrid are interested in Roberto Firmino, who will become a free agent in the summer.
However, the Brazilian international is not the most productive striker around and his struggles in front of goal could put more pressure on players like Vinicius Junior next season.
Real Madrid, therefore, will hope to keep hold of Benzema’s services for another year. Unfortunately, though, the player has given a cold response so far and left training early, without speaking too much.
So it will be interesting to see whether or not the veteran striker opts to remain at Bernabeu for another year.
