Real Madrid identify €50m Bellingham alternative

Jacque Talbot

• 27 Feb 2023 15:45 GMT
• 3 min read

Real Madrid have identified Bruno Guimaraes as a possible to Jude Bellingham.

A report from DefensaCentral has suggested that the La Liga giants are looking at a Newcastle midfielder over a summer move if they fail to land the England international.

Though the priority is Bellingham, the form of Guimaraes for the Magpies has stirred interest from the Spanish giants.

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It is thought that once they manage to secure a move for Endrick, who will arrive in 2024, they will look to bolster their midfield.

The club have been working on a move for Bellingham for months but the trouble they face is the abundance of other clubs looking at the teenager, including Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Paris Saint-Germain.

Real see Guimaraes as their ‘Plan B’ but would certainly face resistance from Newcastle, who see the midfielder as their best player.

The Brazilian arrived at Newcastle a year ago from Lyon for a fee that could rise to £40m.

Guimaraes is under contract at St James’ Park until 2026, but there has been reports that a new one could be in the works over fresh terms.

But if the player takes the step and decides to leave, and the Bellingham option becomes impossible, Real Madrid could go after him.

Guimaraes's affection for Newcastle

But Guimaraes - who FootballTransfers gives an ETV of €50m - has spoken about his admiration for his current side Newcastle, telling The Players' Tribune: "I hope to be a legend here. I know that this club can be one of the giants. It starts this weekend.

"Win or lose, we’re back at Wembley, and I know how special it is for the fans. It’s funny, but when I had the opportunity to move to Newcastle last year, I remember a lot of people telling me, 'You’re crazy. This could be a disaster for you. They’re going to get relegated. You’ll never make the World Cup squad if you move there'.

"At the time, Newcastle were third to last in the table. Everyone knew we were in trouble. But any time someone asked me what my dream was, from the time I was 15, I always said it was to play in the Premier League one day."