It’s not everyday that the Spanish media have something about Jude Bellingham and his potential transfer away from Borussia Dortmund, but with Real Madrid challenging Liverpool for his signature, they are bound to get the odd bit of information here and there.
The England international is widely expected to leave Germany in the coming months, with many clubs around Europe vying for his transfer.
Liverpool were seen as the favourites, but their poor league form has seen him reportedly doubt the move, especially since they are some way off a Champions League spot at this moment in time.
That’s why AS in Spain explain that ‘if he chooses Liverpool, he could miss out’ on the elite European competition next year, unless the Reds go on and win the trophy.
Their current state suggest they are some way off from that, but in a knock-out competition, little is impossible.
Still, on paper, the situation at Liverpool ‘is critical and requires a capital reaction’, as they are 12 points behind fourth place in the Premier League, albeit with two games in hand, potentially reducing that to six.
Should they fail, they would need to win the tournament, with their next opponent being none other than Real Madrid, who so happen to be their competition for Bellingham too.
This is a situation Bellingham ‘is aware of’, and Jude is said to be ‘defoliating the daisy with an inevitable whirr in his head’, alluding to the childhood game of ‘he loves me, he loves me not…’ as petals are taken off the flower.
AS have information of their own, and explain that Dortmund currently have an offer of €15m/year ‘up their sleeves’, but won’t do anything ‘until they find out, from his own mouth, what his intentions are’.
That’s when the Spanish outlet claim to know what he wants, and that is that he is ‘not only leaving’, but wants to ‘continue growing from England’.
Of course, that works in Real Madrid’s favour, but there are ‘constant contacts’ with his entourage from England, and added pressure when legends like Steven Gerrard try and lure him to Liverpool.
The belief is that any transfer ‘will cost around €100m’, but that could rise to €150m with bonuses, and his next destination is completely up to him.
If he wanted to go to England, he ‘would also have Manchester United as suitors’, but ‘the pace at the top is set between those from Anfield and Real Madrid’.
Therefore, a lot could rest on the matchup between the two sides in the Champions League, because it could either be an important 18 remaining league games for the Reds, or four rounds of the European competition if they manage to see off Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
And that is a matchup Bellingham will surely be keeping an eye on.
