Jude Bellingham urges Real Madrid to sign 21-year-old midfielder, club now monitoring him: Reports
Jude Bellingham has reportedly told Real Madrid to lure Jamal Musiala away from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in the future.
Musiala, 21, has established himself as one of the most exciting playmakers in the world since making his professional debut for Bayern in June 2020. He has helped his team lift 10 trophies, including four Bundesliga titles and one UEFA Champions League crown.
A right-footed advanced playmaker adept at operating on either flank, Musiala has started 92 of his 156 appearances across competitions for the Bavarians so far. He has netted 43 goals and laid out 30 assists in 8,635 minutes of first-team action for the German giants.
Now, according to Defensa Central, Real Madrid have identified Musiala as one of their transfer targets in the recent times. After Bellingham recommended Musiala's signing to club president Florentino Perez, Los Merengues are keeping tabs on the German midfielder.
Real Madrid, who signed Bellingham in a potential €134 million move last summer, are reportedly admirers of Musiala. However, they deem the former Chelsea youth star not one of their priority targets this year.
With Musiala's current contract set to run out in June 2026, the Santiago Bernabeu club could launch a move for the 25-cap Germany international next summer. They might strike a deal with Bayern for a comparatively lower sum with the player in the final year of his deal.
Furthermore, Bellingham could try to convince Musiala to join Carlo Ancelotti's side due to their exisiting relationship. The pair played together for England's U15, U16, U17, and U21 national teams before Musiala chose to represent Germany's senior team in March 2021.
Real Madrid shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois opens up after sustaining new injury issue
Ahead of the ongoing 2023-24 campaign, Thibaut Courtois picked up a potentially season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury. However, the 31-year-old suffered a new meniscus injury during a training session earlier on Tuesday, hampering his comeback chances.
Following his new injury problem, Courtois asserted that he will return to first-team action for Real Madrid in top condition and thanked his fans. He said (h/t Fabrizio Romano):
"I'm sad for this new injury, but it's just a small setback. I will be back stronger than ever. I feel your support."
In Courtois' absence, Real Madrid have relied on Andriy Lunin and Chelsea loanee Kepa Arrizabalaga this campaign. While the Ukrainian has recorded 10 shutouts in 23 overall outings, the latter has overseen seven clean sheets in 18 games across all competitions so far.