Liverpool

Liverpool

Premier League • England

Path clears for one side to secure Borussia Dortmund star as Chelsea, Liverpool battle Real Madrid

Jude Bellingham, Youssoufa Moukoko, Borussia Dortmund, October 2022

The path for one club to sign Jude Bellingham has reportedly cleared, as Chelsea and Liverpool battle Real Madrid for his signature.

Bellingham’s rise to becoming one of the most sought after players in Europe has been mesmerising. Indeed, just over two years ago he was playing in the Championship with Birmingham City.

He only played 44 games for the Blues before securing a massive £20+million move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs as a 17-year-old.

While he contributed to just six goals during his time in the Championship, his general play set him apart. Indeed, his number being retired by the club showed just how impactful he was.

He has carried that through with him during his time at Dortmund. Indeed, in 108 games for the German side he has contributed to 38 goals.

He is clearly still on quite the rise. That much has been very obvious this season, when he has taken on added responsibility after the sale of Erling Haaland.

Bellingham has worn the captain’s armband at Dortmund a few times, despite being just 19 years old. He has also put in some quality performances for the side.

A lot of those have come when it has mattered most, in Champions League games. Indeed, the midfielder scored in four consecutive games in the competition, as well as providing a teammate with an assist in one game.

Bellingham transfer obstacle removed

Given his top form, there has been a lot of talk about a potential move away from Dortmund. Indeed, the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid have all been linked with Bellingham.

Journalist Simon Phillips feels it is Liverpool who will land the star.

However, a stumbling block has been removed which could see Real in the box seat. AS reports that a change in Real’s squad could have opened the door for the potential move.

Indeed, Bellingham is classed as a non-EU player, and there can only be three of them in Real’s squad. With the Spanish side already having that amount, they would have previously been unable to sign him.

That is the reason that Raheem Sterling was not snared in the summer.

However, Eder Militao and Rodrygo – both Brazilians – have now earned dual nationality. As such, there is now extra space for non-EU players, as they are no longer classed as such.

That means that Real will likely have a real crack at pursuing Bellingham in an upcoming transfer window.

Transfer battle likely to hot up

It is likely that the transfer battle for Bellingham will now hot up, with three serious contenders in the mix. It would be a real surprise if any of them were to back down, knowing what the end goal is.

Real reportedly see themselves in a good position to land Bellingham now. Indeed, their ‘good relationship’ with Dortmund that is cited in the report means they believe they can come to an agreement on a transfer.

It states they feel they could snag the star for €100million (approx £86million).

There will surely be a response from the other interested sides if Real do make an attempt to sign him.