Real Madrid ready player plus €100m bid for Bellingham

Stuart Telford

• 24 Jan 2023 13:14 CST
• 3 min read

Real Madrid are getting creative in their attempts to beat Liverpool and Manchester City in the race for Borussia Dortmund's England midfielder Jude Bellingham.

Bellingham is widely expected to leave Dortmund next summer, with the club's CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke previously saying that they wouldn't stand in his way "if the really big clubs were involved."

Now one of the first names on Gareth Southgate's England teamsheet, Bellingham has already led Dortmund out in the Champions League at the tender age of 19, and he is valued at €87.6 million by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm.

READ: 'I'll fly to Dortmund myself!': Gerrard urges Liverpool to sign Bellingham

Whomever wins the race to his signature is likely to have to pay significantly more, though. The Premier League giants could pull past the €100m mark with little issue, as could Real, but the Spanish and European champions have a more creative solution up their sleeves.

"A two-stage plan is being considered internally," report Sky Germany. "They want to make Bellingham cheaper and at the same time offer BVB a top solution.

Camavinga to Dortmund?

For this reason, in addition to a transfer fee of €100m, a swap deal with Real youngster Eduardo Camavinga is being considered. Spanish media first reported on this, and we did some research and can confirm the idea existed."

READ: Camavinga is 'untouchable' says Ancelotti amid transfer exit rumours

Real recently shot down suggestions that Camavinga would be allowed to leave on loan to Arsenal in the winter transfer window, with manager Carlo Ancelotti saying recently that: "We won't let Camavinga leave. He's untouchable - like [Luka] Modric and Toni Kroos."

But an arrangement with Dortmund that also sees Bellingham arrive at the Santiago Bernabeu would suit Real better.

Man City believe they have an advantage in that Bellingham would run into a Dortmund old boys network at the Etihad in Erling Haaland, Manuel Akanji and Sergio Gomez, quite aside from the fact that they have won four of the last five Premier League titles.

Liverpool bagged the other in that time, and Bellingham's father Mark, a non-league goalscoring legend, has reportedly been in talks with the Reds on behalf of the player, as well as his younger brother Jobe, still of Birmingham.