Real Madrid midfield target ‘very close’ to Liverpool move – report | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund midfielder and Real Madrid transfer target Jude Bellingham is very close to signing for Premier League giants Liverpool.

This claim comes from BILD journalist Christian Falk, who stated on his appearance on The Anfield Wrap Podcast that the 19-year-old and his family preferred a move to the Merseyside heavyweights over Los Blancos.

Bellingham has been at Dortmund since the summer of 2020, when he joined from Birmingham City and has become one of the faces of the Bundesliga during his time at Signal Iduna Park.

The teenager is now starring for the England national team at the FIFA World Cup, helping the Three Lions book a place in the quarter-finals of the competition in Qatar.

Naturally, he has attracted the attention of a host of top clubs across Europe, including Real Madrid. Los Blancos had identified Bellingham as their main target for the summer of 2023 as they seek to complete the transition in their midfield department.

Luka Modric is in the final phase of his career and Toni Kroos is yet to decide on whether he will sign a new contract or not. So, the Merengues will need to bring in a new, younger midfielder to partner the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga in the long run.

And Bellingham was seen as the ideal fit at the Santiago Bernabeu. But with his valuation shooting up close to €150 million, Real Madrid have taken a backseat in their pursuit of the Englishman.

At the same time, Liverpool have jumped ahead of the queue, with Falk reporting that the 19-year-old and his family prefer a move to Anfield over the Bernabeu.

The German journalist adds that the reason behind Bellingham leaning towards Liverpool is that he believes Real Madrid already have enough players in the position and that he could grow into a leader in the middle of the park if he were to join the Reds.

So, as things stand, a move to Anfield seems to be getting closer for Bellingham, although things can change quickly in the transfer market.