Real Madrid News
Real Madrid working on midfield superstar’s contract renewal to avoid Premier League interest – Romano
Real Madrid are quietly working on a new contract for Jude Bellingham as they look to secure the midfielder’s long-term future and remove any possibility of a Premier League return becoming a temptation.
Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Real Madrid want to renew Bellingham’s contract, with the club viewing the England international as one of the central figures around whom the next generation of the team will be built.
Real Madrid want Bellingham renewal to block PL move
Notably, Bellingham is already tied to the club until 2029 and is happy in the Spanish capital.
However, Real Madrid are keen to revisit his terms after his importance to both the club and England has continued to grow.
The negotiations are being handled without urgency, but the intention is to strengthen Bellingham’s position before any Premier League interest can develop into a serious threat.
Indeed, Bellingham has never played in the Premier League and retains an ambition to experience English top-flight football at some point in his career.
That, however, does not currently translate into a desire to leave Madrid in coming years.
Jose Mourinho is also a major admirer of the midfielder, which further enhances his importance to the new project at the Bernabeu.
Bellingham in line for major salary increase
As reported before, the proposed renewal would also reflect Bellingham’s growing status within the squad.
The England midfielder currently earns around €20 million per season, while the new agreement could take his annual salary beyond €30 million, placing him among Real Madrid’s highest earners.
For Real Madrid, they see Bellingham as a long-term sporting leader and one of the midfielders capable of defining its next era.
His recent displays for England have only strengthened that belief, particularly his starring performance against Croatia.
Real Madrid see Bellingham as future Ballon d’Or contender
Bellingham’s rise has already taken him into the Ballon d’Or conversation, and Madrid believe there is still another level for the 23-year-old to reach.
That is why the renewal is being approached as part of a broader strategy rather than a response to an immediate transfer threat.
Simply put, Real Madrid want to make Bellingham one of the foundations of their future squad while ensuring that a lucrative Premier League offer cannot easily disrupt those plans.
Real Madrid’s adventure so far under new coach Jose Mourinho has been far from perfect and this fact shouldn’t be lost even after the team’s brilliant comeback win over AS Roma in midweek.
However, there are areas where Los Blancos have shown a clear improvement under Mourinho, when compared to previous bosses such as Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa.
One of those areas has been set plays, with Real Madrid appearing far more potent from set pieces this season.
A clear improvement from last season
As reported by Diario AS, the three goals in Rome, all from Arda Guler corners inside a seven-minute blitz, were the perfect advert for the work being done at Valdebebas.
Those strikes took Real Madrid’s set-piece tally to seven goals in just ten matches this season. Four of them have come in La Liga, one from a corner and three from free kicks, with the trio in Rome completing the haul.
It is a striking figure when set against last season’s return. Under Alonso and Arbeloa, Madrid managed 12 set-piece goals across the entire campaign, all in La Liga, split evenly between six from corners and six from free kicks.
On current trends, this side looks well placed to surpass that number comfortably.
The reason behind Real Madrid’s improvement
Attacking set pieces are led at Valdebebas by Pedro Machado, with the whole coaching staff involved and Mourinho himself giving the final green light on every routine.
Defending them, meanwhile, falls to Sami Khedira, though it is treated as a collective effort. Mourinho’s appreciation of that teamwork was clear when Bellingham headed in a Guler free kick against Espanyol, prompting the manager to leap up and embrace his assistants.
Machado, one of Mourinho’s most trusted lieutenants, has followed him from Fenerbahce to Benfica and now Madrid, part of a backroom team blending experience with young, ambitious talent.
On the pitch, Guler is the undisputed master when available, his left foot the key weapon, with Bernardo Silva, Trent Alexander-Arnold and even Diomande also trusted to initiate attacks.
Such meticulous strategy has helped Real Madrid turn into a potent side from set-pieces this season.
