Real Madrid will not partake in a reckless bidding war for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham in 2023, according to reports in Spain.
The reigning La Liga and European champions have been touted as a potential destination for Bellingham, who has excelled at the World Cup for England and emerged as a key component of Gareth Southgate's side.
However, Marca are reporting that Madrid president Florentino Perez will refuse to pay over the odds for the 19-year-old. While Bellingham is seen as a 'priority' signing, the report claims that Perez will not risk the economic stability of Los Blancos in an effort to see off suitors such as Liverpool. Indeed, Marca say it is the Reds who have 'taken the lead in the battle' for the teenager.
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Reports from Germany earlier this week suggested that Dortmund could demand a fee of between £86m and £130m for Bellingham, but with each passing round of the Three Lions' World Cup campaign, a payment in the upper echelons of that price bracket appears more and more likely.
"In the case of Bellingham, there is talk of $150m, an amount that Real Madrid is not going to put on the table for a player that they consider to be extremely interesting," declared Marca today. "It is considered that the operation [a fee] will escape all logic and could jeopardise what has not happened so far, not even in the worst moments of the pandemic, such as the economic stability of the entity."
Like many clubs, Madrid have been significantly impacted by the financial ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic, but added to their difficulties is the estimated price of the Santiago Bernabeu renovation, which is now expected to cost in the excess of $1bn due to an inflated cost of materials.
Earlier in the year, Mundo Deportivo claimed that the club was looking for another financial loan in the region of €150-200m for the renovation, which is set to be complete at some point in 2023. Madrid had already received a loan of €575m in 2019, before acquiring a further €225 just two years later as Perez looked to combat the increasing cost of resources after the 2020 pandemic.
Additionally, Los Blancos have already begun the process of overhauling their midfield department in recent times, with both Eduardo Camavinga, 20, and Aurelien Tchouameni, 22, joining Carlo Ancelotti's side over the last two seasons.
Federico Valverde has also excelled in his development to become a prominent member of Ancelotti's starting XI, with the 14-time European Cup winners enduring a period of transition in the centre of the park given Toni Kroos, 32, and Luka Modric, 37, are entering the latter phases of their triumphant careers in the Spanish capital while Casemiro left to join Manchester United in the summer.
Liverpool will no doubt be in the running for Bellingham's signature when he eventually decides to leave Dortmund, with their admiration of the rising star nothing new. In fact, he was invited by Anfield officials to take part in a two-day trial at the club's Kirkby-based academy when he was an under-11s player at boyhood club Birmingham City before his parents, Mark and Denise, decided against relocating to Merseyside.
Bellingham has also made no secret of his affection for Reds captain Jordan Henderson, with the two striking up a close-knit relationship during their time as senior England internationals.
Bellingham is contracted to Borussia Dortmund until the summer of 2025.
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