Liverpool’s €120M move to sign Jude Bellingham is in jeopardy as Real Madrid make contact with Borussia Dortmund in what could be Aurelien Tchouameni all over again.
The La Liga outfit were left reeling when Kylian Mbappe snubbed them in favour of a three-year contract renewal to remain in Ligue 1.
They reacted in anger, bullying Liverpool out of the way to sign Aurelien Tchouameni for a fee worth €100M, according to the Athletic.
The Reds, despite wanting the Frenchman, have yet to come close to agreeing on a deal for a new midfielder and face the dreaded battle of winning the race to seal Jude Bellingham’s signature ahead of the 2023 summer transfer window.
Dortmund do not want to sell him this summer due to losing Erling Haaland to Manchester City, telling clubs they will only sell one of their most expensive players per season.
It could get worse for Liverpool as a source states that the Spanish giants made contact with the player and Dortmund earlier this year and another report states they will still sign another midfielder this summer.
Spanish journalist Ramón Alvarez de Mon claimed in March that Real Madrid were ready to accelerate interest in Bellingham and made contact over a move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
German outlet BILD claimed that Madrid want to agree a deal to sign the Englishman in 2023 as the Liverpool Echo reports the Reds are “reluctant” to part with “significant fees” after signing Darwin Nunez for a total fee worth £85M after add-ons.
According to the Athletic, Liverpool won’t be put off by the €120million (£103million) transfer and see the 19-year-old as a key target for 2023.