Real Madrid Transfer News Roundup: Los Blancos confident of Jude Bellingham move; Antonio Conte wants Santiago Bernabeu job, and more - March 11, 2023
Real Madrid secured a 3-1 comeback win over Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday (March 11) in La Liga. A Vinicius Junior strike helped chalk out Joselu’s early goal before Eder Militao gave the hosts the lead. Marco Asensio found the back of the net late on to mark an eventful day for Carlo Ancelotti.
Meanwhile, journalist Miguel Delaney says that Los Blancos are confident of winning the race for Jude Bellingham. Elsewhere, Antonio Conte is interested in taking charge at the Santiago Bernabeu.
On that note, here's a look at the key Real Madrid transfer stories as on March 11, 2023:
Real Madrid confident of Jude Bellingham move
Real Madrid are confident that they can ward off competition to sign Jude Bellingham, according to Miguel Delaney.
The Borussia Dortmund midfielder is expected to be on the move this summer, with Los Blancos among the clubs hot on his heels. Recent reports have said that Liverpool are also eager to secure the 19-year-old's signature.
In his newsletter for The Independent, as cited by Rousing the Kop, Delaney said that Bellingham's underwhelming performance against Chelsea will add to speculation about his future.
“Any new Madrid manager could well have Jude Bellingham as the star act in his team. An admittedly underwhelming Champions League appearance in London (against Chelsea on Tuesday) meant another round of speculation but also some concrete movements and meetings,” wrote Delaney.
Delaney added that Real Madrid want a replacement for Luka Modric and Karim Benzema and have set their sights on Bellingham and Erling Haaland.
“Madrid still think they are well out in front as regards Bellingham’s signature, but nothing is yet signed. Florentino Perez wants to bring in a forward alongside him – with the two essentially succeeding Luka Modric and Karim Benzema – and is increasingly letting it be known he would be intrigued by Erling Haaland over Kylian Mbappe," wrote Delaney.
The 19-year-old Bellingham has registered ten goals and six assists in 32 games across competitions this season for BvB.
Antonio Conte wants Santiago Bernabeu job
Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte wants to take charge at the Santiago Bernabeu, according to Miguel Delaney via HITC. Carlo Ancelotti's position at Real Madrid could come under threat if he fails to defend the league or the Champions League.
In his column for The Independent, Delaney said that Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino are also eager to take charge of Los Blancos.
"There are still some tensions from that time, and the manager (Mauricio Pochettino) spent a lot of angling for a job that could be available in the summer in Real Madrid. There are going to be a lot of moving parts here," wrote Delaney.
He added:
"Thomas Tuchel and – naturally – Conte are among those also eyeing it. It makes this a potentially interesting summer for the coaching market, that comes at a point when we are potentially moving onto the next generation of managers.”
Real Madrid are second in the league, six points behind Barcelona.
Los Blancos eyeing Tammy Abraham
Real Madrid are interested in Tammy Abraham, according to Defensa Central via The Hard Tackle. The La Liga giants are expected to be in the market this summer to add more cover for Karim Benzema in the squad. The French striker has suffered with injuries this season, and Los Blancos have struggled in his absence.
Abraham has managed to turn his career around since leaving Chelsea for AS Roma in 2021. The 25-year-old was key to the Italian side's UEFA Conference League triumph last season, but he has been off-colour this campaign.
However, Real Madrid believe they can help him regain his best form. However, Roma are likely to demand €80 million for the English striker’s signature. The 25-year-old has registered seven goals and six assists in 35 appearances across competitions for the Serie A side this season.