Real Madrid sacrificed Casemiro in order to sign Bellingham

FT Desk

• 20 Aug 2022 12:10 CDT
• 3 min read

Real Madrid have agreed a deal with Manchester United for the sale of Casemiro, and they’ve already laid out a plan for his replacement, and their next big signing.

The deal for Casemiro came as a surprise, given that Manchester United moved so quickly and that the player himself was quite comfortable in Spain.

However, Real Madrid were open to the transfer as the English side met their asking price and Casemiro was positive about the terms he agreed with Manchester United.

And as he’s set to leave the club, the Spanish and European champions have already lined up his replacement, but won’t make a move until the summer of 2023.

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Real Madrid eye Bellingham in 2023

That target is Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, who has been a star for the German side over the last two years and was previously also a target for Real Madrid.

Real Madrid’s interest in the player dates as far back to 2020, when Bellingham was still an emerging teenager at Birmingham City, his first club in professional football.

They’ve had interest in him this year as well, but opted to move for Aurelien Tchouameni instead, who was at Monaco before his €100 million transfer to the Spanish capital – the most expensive deal this summer.

Now, with Casemiro’s sale, Real Madrid believe that the sporting impact is minimized and that the economic conditions are right for them to move for Bellingham, according to reports from Marca.

The club feel he’s the right person to reinforce their midfield and he will fit in well with a youthful core featuring Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde.

For now, they expect Tchouameni to fit in well and be Casemiro’s replacement for this season, sitting well alongside Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, who have been everpresent in the side for the last eight years.

A transfer for Bellingham won’t be cheap, and Real Madrid will have to fork out another big fee next summer if they are to sign him, especially if the Englishman continues on the trajectory he is on.