Borussia Dortmund have agreed to sell England midfielder Jude Bellingham to Spanish giants Real Madrid for an initial fee of 103 million euros ($110.3m), the Bundesliga club says in a statement.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The publicly listed club said on Wednesday that it would receive an additional variable amount “up to a maximum total amount of around 30 percent” of the fixed transfer fee, depending on team and player bonuses.
Spanish news reports said last month that 19-year-old Bellingham had agreed personal terms with Real Madrid. He was also sought by other top European clubs, but Real Madrid was said to be his preferred destination.
One of the most promising talents in world football, Bellingham joined Dortmund from Birmingham City in 2020 for a fee of 25 million euros ($26.8m).
He played 132 games for the club, scoring 24 goals and winning the 2021 German Cup.
Dortmund finished second behind Bayern Munich on goal difference after dropping points on the final match day against Mainz, where the injured Bellingham watched from the bench.
Making his debut for England at just 17, Bellingham also played a starring role in the Three Lions’ 2022 World Cup campaign.
Bellingham started each of England’s five matches in Qatar, scoring once and assisting another goal as his side made it through to the quarterfinals, where they lost against eventual runners-up France.
In Madrid, Bellingham will join other young players such as Frenchmen Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni while veterans Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are also set to stay.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti reportedly wants Tottenham Hotspur and England captain Harry Kane after Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema’s departure to Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia.
Bellingham, meanwhile, was voted best player of the past Bundesliga season by players in a poll organised by the German players union VDV.
Bellingham received 29.6 percent of the votes, the VDV said on Wednesday. Eintracht Frankfurt forward Randal Kolo Muani was second (28.6 percent) and Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala was third (13.7 percent).
