REAL MADRID are poised to pip the Prem big guns to land Jude Bellingham for £87million next summer.
The Spanish giants have made their opening moves in the race to sign the Borussia Dortmund star, despite the Prem sides having monitored him since his Birmingham days.
Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and champions Manchester City are all eyeing the 19-year-old.
But Madrid believe they are in pole position to persuade Dortmund to agree a deal ahead of a move at the end of the season.
The Bernabeu hierarchy see Bellingham’s arrival completing the overhaul of their midfield engine room.
Real, who sold Brazilian Casemiro to Manchester United in August, know that time is running out for Luka Modric, 37, and 32-year-old Toni Kroos.
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But having already recruited French duo Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni, Madrid think England ace Bellingham would be the perfect third piece in that central jigsaw.
Madrid have leaked their determination and interest to the big Spanish sports newspapers, with Marca splashing a picture of Bellingham on their front page yesterday.
It was the clearest sign that Real are pushing hard and the club is briefing that conversations between the two clubs have now started.
But that will be a body-blow for the Prem sides who have been equally keen to bring Bellingham back to England after seeing the box-to-box livewire live up to all his billing in the Bundesliga.
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Bellingham, who quit Brum for Dortmund in 2020, is expected to be in England’s starting XI at next month’s World Cup, where his profile could go even higher.
His latest man-of-the-match masterclass, with a superb run and finish in Dortmund’s 4-1 Champions League win at Sevilla on Wednesday, was further evidence of why he is so highly prized.
While Dortmund kept him last summer by putting a £115m valuation on his back, it is anticipated that they will be more likely to accept a lower offer next year.
But Real’s early move means the Prem sides will have to blow any Real bid out of the water to have a chance of persuading Bellingham that his future lies in England and not LaLiga.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
