Real Madrid are reportedly planning for a potentially quiet summer window, which could see them miss out on Jude Bellingham to European rivals Liverpool.
This comes courtesy of Spanish outlet Marca (as relayed by Madrid Universal), with it understood that Manchester City remain actively involved in the race for the Englishman’s signature.
Los Blancos’ stance is allegedly underpinned by a desire to prepare for moves for the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, the former of which has a release clause (valued at £175.5m, according to The Athletic) that is said to activate 2024 for any club outside of England.
That’s a seismic fee even for a club the size of Real Madrid and may require some magic being worked as far as outgoings are concerned.
As such, one can understand why bosses at the Bernabeu may be reluctant to fork out such a hefty fee for an admittedly magnificent player when Bellingham is likely to cost around (if not in excess of) £130m.
Without having a clearer picture of what the Spanish outfit’s finances are looking like and the potential impact that Carlo Ancelotti’s exit could have on their transfer policy following a disappointing league campaign, we can’t say for sure that the Champions League holders are absolutely out of the race.
Certainly, we’d be inclined to advise fans to take such rumours with a pinch of salt until the summer comes around and each interested club’s position becomes clearer.
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