"Musiala scared him out of Germany", "Second biggest Bellingham signing" - Fans troll Liverpool and Jude Bellingham as he completes Real Madrid move
Real Madrid have confirmed the signing of Jude Bellingham as Liverpool have officially missed out on their former top transfer target.
Los Blancos have sealed Bellingham's capture from Borussia Dortmund on a six-year deal worth a reported initial โฌ103 million, per The Mirror. The 19-year-old was one of Europe's most sought-after teenagers and has opted to join Carlo Ancelotti's side.
Liverpool were among the European heavyweights interested in signing Bellingham this summer. However, they cooled their interest after learning of Dortmund's valuation of the midfielder.
Jude Bellingham has been in superb form this season, scoring 14 goals and providing seven assists in 42 games across competitions at BvB. He was also a standout performer for England at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, scoring one goal and providing an assist in five World Cup games.
Real Madrid were also joined by Manchester City, Manchester United, and Chelsea in their pursuit of Bellingham. He becomes Los Blancos' second most expensive signing in their history behind Eden Hazard who cost โฌ115 million.
The La Liga giants were eager to sign Bellingham as they looked to bounce back from a frustrating campaign. Ancelotti's side were thrashed 5-1 on aggregate by Manchester City in the Champions League semifinals. They also came up short in the La Liga title race, falling 10 points short of champions Barcelona.
Jude Bellingham's stock has quickly risen in the Bundesliga and he has shown his leadership qualities as well as his attacking and defensive capabilities. He became the youngest captain in Bundesliga history and the youngest skipper to score in a Champions League game.
It had appeared that he was heading to Liverpool amid growing friendships with Reds duo Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Jurgen Klopp is a huge admirer of the teenager but his price tag proved too much of an ask.
Nevertheless, fans are taking aim at the Anfield giants for missing out on the English midfielder.
One fan joked that his brother Jobe Bellingham's proposed move to Sunderland from Birmingham City was a bigger deal:
"Second biggest Bellingham signing of the summer after Jobe moving to Sunderland."
Another fan has claimed that Bayern Munich's own teenage wonderkid Jamal Musiala has scared him away from the Bundesliga:
"Musiala scared him out of Germany."
Here's how Twitter reacted to Real Madrid's capture of Jude Bellingham:
Real Madrid reject Liverpool bid for Federico Valverde despite Jude Bellingham's arrival
Real Madrid have reportedly rejected an offer from Liverpool for midfielder Federico Valverde.
According to El Nacional (via TeamTalk), the Reds tabled an undisclosed bid for the Uruguayan. They are reportedly willing to part with as much as โฌ80 million plus โฌ20 million in addons for the midfielder.
However, their offer was rejected by Real Madrid as Ancelotti looks to keep hold of the 24-year-old. Valverde was in fine form this season, scoring 12 goals and providing seven assists in 56 games across competitions. He has four years left on his contract at the Bernabeu and has become a prominent member of Ancelotti's team.
It remains to be seen the impact Jude Bellingham's arrival will have on Valverde's future. The English teenager will expect to come straight into Los Blancos' starting lineup following his big-money move.