REAL MADRID are looking to use an incredible loophole to register Jude Bellingham this season.
The Spanish giants would make space to register a new signing after making a passport demand for their English midfielder.
Bellingham completed a £115million move to Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund earlier this summer.
Ahead of his first season in Spain, Los Blancos are looking into a loophole as they prepare to register him for the upcoming campaign.
According to Marca, Real Madrid are hoping to avoid registering Bellingham as a non-EU player.
The club are waiting for confirmation that the 20-year-old has been issued an Irish passport.
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If the application is successful, it would mean Bellingham can be included as a European Union player.
LaLiga’s registration rules limit each club to just three non-EU players in their squad.
Bellingham is eligible for an Irish passport through his paternal grandmother, according to his dad Mark.
Mark previously shared a snap of Bellingham wearing an Ireland shirt as a child.
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He went on to play for England instead of Ireland, though, and has already won 24 caps for the Three Lions.
Real Madrid have previously used a similar loophole to register new signings as EU players in the past.
The club secured Spanish citizenships for Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and Eder Militao after they moved to the Santiago Bernabeu.
British players have to be listed as non-EU in Spain following Brexit.
Other European countries, including Italy, have given British players a special status to allow them to be registered.
By registering Bellingham as Irish, Real Madrid will also be free to sign another non-EU player before the end of the transfer window.
However, the move will not impact on their pursuit of Kylian Mbappe this summer.
Mbappe would not count towards their non-EU quote, with France still being a part of the European Union.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
