Real Madrid ready to go ‘all in’ on Bellingham as bidding war begins

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:55 CDT
• 3 min read

The race for Jude Bellingham is set to start in earnest after the World Cup, with Real Madrid reportedly ready to go “all in” for the Borussia Dortmund midfielder.

Bellingham is at Qatar 2022 with the England national team and is expected to play a leading role for Gareth Southgate’s side as they tackle Iran, USA and Wales in the group stages of the competition.

Regardless of his performance at the World Cup, though, a string of leading sides from across Europe are ready to take part in a bidding war for the player, which is likely to drive his price far in excess of the €88 million that FootballTransfers values him at.

MORE: Bellingham is a ‘source of friction’ in Dortmund dressing room

Marca reports that Real Madrid are ready to move for the midfielder, with the Spanish club anticipating that he will ultimately move for a fee of around €100 million.

They face competition primarily from the Premier League, where Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool have most closely been linked with the 19-year-old, while Manchester United have also been mentioned as a potential destination.

Borussia Dortmund, meanwhile, have reportedly not given up on keeping Bellingham, but the prospect of that seems dimmer, particularly with suggestions that the playing squad are not happy with the player’s attitude.

MORE: Real Madrid eye Arsenal target as Bellingham back-up

Jude Bellingham transfer latest

On Wednesday, Sport Bild reported that Bellingham’s entourage are ready to push for a transfer in the summer, while Dortmund have themselves indicated that they will hold talks with the player over his future plans.

“I think as soon as the World Cup is over, we will have a general discussion about that he really wants,” Hans-Joachim Watzke, the CEO of Dortmund, explained previously.

“We don’t have to present that the issue is not on the table. If the really big clubs are involved, then we can’t afford to have a financial fight.”

Real Madrid are ready for that battle to secure Bellingham’s future, but with so many major teams involved, it promises to be intense.