Real Madrid not interested in bidding war for Endrick and Bellingham

FT Desk

• 5 Nov 2022 19:44 GMT
• 4 min read

Endrick and Jude Bellingham have emerged as two primary transfer targets for Real Madrid, but the Spanish and European champions won't be dragged into a bidding war for either player.

Endrick and Bellingham are both in Real's focus, and little wonder. The former is nine goals in 12 games into his Palmeiras career at the tender age of 16, while the latter - a relative veteran at 19 - has already led Borussia Dortmund out in the Champions League.

The problem with two such nascent talents, from Real's point of view anyway, is that their early ability is attracting interest from more than just them, and gone are the Galactico days of Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham in which los Blancos could simply outbid the competition for any player they chose.

READ: Who is Endrick? The 16-year-old sensation that all Europe’s top clubs want

In recent seasons, Real have been shrewd in the transfer market, buying youngsters like Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo directly from Brazil before they become stars in Europe - although they can still go that extra mile, as evidenced by this summer's €100 million acquisition of Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco.

Fierce competition

But the fees for Endrick and Bellingham threaten to become astronomical, with Barcelona among those competing for the Palmeiras striker and Manchester City and Liverpool towards the front of the queue for the England midfielder.

"While the Spanish champions are concerned by what could happen, there's also no sense of panic to close these deals," report Marca. "As has been the case in the recent past with signings, negotiation limits are set by the Real Madrid directors.

READ: Dortmund ready to break the bank to keep Jude Bellingham

"For this reason, they work hard during the months prior to the transfer with the fundamental factor being the will of the player. Without a player's desire to sign, a deal becomes impossible to compete financially."

Endrick, who can only join in the summer of 2024 when he turns 18, has a release fee of €60m, but his signing on fee and wages will drive his overall cost up. Dortmund would like up to €150m for Bellingham, hence the onus on the player forcing the transfer through himself.