Real Madrid believe that Liverpool target Jude Bellingham is close to deciding on a Premier League move for this summer.
Bellingham’s transfer saga is surely nearing a conclusion after literal years of speculation. Madrid, Liverpool and Manchester City have been the three names thought of as front-runners for the 19-year-old.
But now, as per ABC in Spain, Real are starting to lose hope that they’ll win the race. It’s claimed that the European Champions are ‘starting to believe’ that Bellingham is ‘edging closer’ to a return to England.
To exacerbate their pain even further, Madrid reportedly had new Chelsea signing Enzo Fernandez down as a ‘Plan B.’ Along with Bellingham, Fernandez was said to be Carlo Ancelotti’s only target for a midfield signing.
Premier League beckons for Bellingham
Right at this moment, all signs point towards Bellingham becoming a Liverpool player during the off-season.
Reports have swung and differed over the months, but the Reds always appear to have been the front-runners. The only thing that could seemingly get in the way of that is Liverpool’s finances.
As we saw with the Fernandez deal on Tuesday, other clubs don’t necessarily share FSG’s frugal approach. If there’s a big talent out there available, or not even really available in Enzo’s case, other owners will do what they can to sign them.
That isn’t Liverpool’s approach.
Thankfully, in Bellingham’s case, it feels that the final decision will rest with the player himself. He hasn’t thought this long and this hard about his next step just to be railroaded into signing for the highest bidder. You wouldn’t have thought so, anyway.
That’s perhaps the only reason why Liverpool are still in the running for the Borussia Dortmund man.
If money alone were the object of his, or his club’s thinking, then the Reds would be left behind. If Madrid feel they can’t compete with the spending of Chelsea, Manchester City and United, then what hope do we have?
Instead, if Liverpool have truly convinced Bellingham that they are the club for him, let’s hope that this is iron-clad. Having kept their powder dry in the January midfield market, they clearly have a plan to fund the move. Even some last-minute antics from Chelsea or City shouldn’t factor in. Fingers crossed.