June 14 – Real Madrid have completed the signing of 19-year-old England midfielder Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund on a six-year deal.
Real will pay an initial £88.5 million for Bellingham, who could become his country’s most expensive player should the deal rise to a £115 million price tag including add-ons. He will be presented at a ceremony on Thursday.
Bellingham leaves Dortmund after three seasons and was named Bundesliga Player of the Year in the most recent campaign. In a farewell statement on the Dortmund website, Bellingham said: “Thank you to everyone at BVB and to the fans for everything over the past three years.
“It’s been an honour to wear your jersey so many times, in big and small moments. Even though I look forward to my next destination, I will never forget the journey there. Once Borussia always Borussia. All the best for the future.”
Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke added: “We thank Jude for three years of passion for Borussia Dortmund. It was a fantastic time together.”
One of the most promising talents in world football, the teenager, who had been linked with several major European clubs, joined Dortmund in 2020 for £25 million, becoming the most expensive 17-year-old in football history.
He soon became a permanent fixture in England’s midfield, playing all five games at the World Cup in Qatar.
Real, record 14-times European champions, are in the process of rebuilding their squad following high-profile exits such as Karim Benzema. They won the Copa del Rey but finished 10 points behind champions Barcelona in LaLiga and lost to Manchester City in the Champions League semi-finals.
Bellingham is Real Madrid’s second most expensive signing, after Eden Hazard’s €115 million move from Chelsea in 2019, and the third-most expensive teenager in history.
He has been included in England manager Gareth Southgate’s latest squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia, but will not feature.
He will instead continue his rehabilitation as he recovers from the injury that kept him out of Dortmund’s final game of the season which, agonisingly, dropped them to second behind Bayern Munich.
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