The hottest transfer in Europe is on 'standby'

There is hardly a day when the name of Jude Bellingham (19) is not mentioned in the Spanish or English media - all in the context of a multi-million dollar transfer in June - and it turns out that neither Real Madrid nor Liverpool, as the biggest favorites for his signature, made any concrete steps towards the realization of this potential blockbuster.

Madrid's AS writes about it today and even states that the whole story is on 'standby', as per sources from Madrid. Unrest reigns in Westphalia in recent weeks as well. The meeting that Borussia initiated with the player and at which the young Englishman was supposed to make a definitive statement about where he would like to continue his career, that is, when he should leave, has not yet taken place. His contract is far from expiring (2025), so Dortmund doesn’t have to worry about that, but the club wants to be informed about Bellingham's plans in a timely manner, so that they can plan for the future. With or without him. In Borussia, they don't want media speculation about the fate of the best player to disturb them in the most important part of the season, that's why they wanted the player to make a statement as soon as possible. But the planned meeting never happened...

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According to the information obtained by AS, Jude is in no rush to make a final decision whether he wants to go in the summer or not. He is the one who has many suitors. However, neither Real nor any other club has knocked on his door yet, not even at the door of Borussia. It is a move that is expected only in the summer, when the season is over. As for Madrid, there are quite a few unknowns that need to be cleared up before they embark on an operation that will most certainly exceed the sum of 100 million euros.

Dortmund try to extend Bellingham, will make him the most expensive player in club's history

Although the situation surrounding the new contract for Luka Modric and Toni Kroos does not affect Real's interest in hiring Bellingham, the continuity of the two veterans and the high level of performance could force Madrid to postpone the entire operation for a year. In that case, with only one year left on the contract, they believe at the Santiago Bernabeu, the price would have to be significantly lower. The Germans are also aware of this, so even in January they tried to convince Bellingham and his representatives to sit down at the negotiating table, in order to try to agree on a new contract, with a significantly higher salary and an exit clause set at an 'acceptable' 150,000,000 euros. They failed.

Bellingham has his own calculation. The 'sacrifice' of another season, i.e. staying in Westphalia until the summer of 2024, could pay off handsomely. With just 12 months left on his contract and a drop in compensation, his salary at a future club would only go upwards. Bellingham has fully matured during the current season. Although he is only 19 years old, many experts already consider him one of the best midfielders in the world. With his performance in the Champions League, he made a serious step forward. In six games, he recorded four goals and an assist. It is increasingly being said that Real and Liverpool will have fierce competition in Manchester United and Manchester City. All of that, of course, benefits Borussia. It is certain that another outgoing Bundesliga transfer record will soon fall...