Real Madrid have officially completed the signing of England midfielder Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund. The six-year deal was announced by Borussia Dortmund on June 7th after a fee had been agreed with Real Madrid.
The Spanish giants will pay 103 million euros (£88.5 million) for the 19-year-old, with the potential for additional add-ons that could bring the total deal value to 133.9 million euros (£115 million).
Bellingham, who began his career at Birmingham City, expressed his gratitude to everyone at Borussia Dortmund and the fans for their support over the past three years. In a statement, he said, “It’s been an honor to wear your jersey so many times, in big and small moments. Even though I look forward to my next destination, I will never forget the journey there. Once a Borusse, always a Borusse. All the best for the future.”
Considered one of England’s top performers at the previous World Cup, Bellingham was named the Bundesliga’s player of the season despite Dortmund narrowly missing out on the league title. With this move, he becomes the second-most expensive English footballer, trailing only Jack Grealish, who was acquired by Manchester City from Aston Villa for £100 million in 2021.
Bellingham’s transfer to Real Madrid also makes him their second-most expensive signing, behind Eden Hazard’s 115 million euro move from Chelsea in 2019. Additionally, he becomes the third-most expensive teenager in history, with Paris St-Germain’s acquisition of Kylian Mbappe from Monaco in 2018 for 180 million euros and Atletico Madrid’s signing of Joao Felix from Benfica in 2019 for 126 million euros surpassing him in value.
During his time at Dortmund, Bellingham flourished and made history by becoming the club’s youngest captain at the age of 19. He featured in 42 matches for the club in the 2022-23 season, scoring 14 goals and providing seven assists.
Both Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid expressed their appreciation for the fair and constructive discussions during the transfer negotiations. Dortmund’s chief executive, Hans-Joachim Watzke, thanked Bellingham for his passion over the past three years and acknowledged the fantastic time they had together.
Bellingham’s initial move to Dortmund in 2020 for £25 million made him the most expensive 17-year-old in football history. Despite some mockery directed at Birmingham City for retiring his shirt number after just one full season of professional football, his talent and potential have been widely recognized.
While Bellingham has been included in Gareth Southgate’s latest England squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia, he will not participate due to his ongoing rehabilitation from an injury that kept him out of Dortmund’s final game of the season.
Here is a list of the most expensive English footballers based on transfer fees:
- Jack Grealish: Aston Villa to Manchester City in 2021 for £100 million.
- Jude Bellingham: Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid in 2023 for £88.5 million (rising to £115 million plus add-ons).
- Harry Maguire: Leicester to Manchester United in 2019 for £80 million.
- Jadon Sancho: Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United in 2021 for £73 million.
- Raheem Sterling: Manchester City to Chelsea in 2022 for £50 million.
- Aaron Wan-Bissaka: Crystal Palace to Manchester United in 2019 for £50 million.
- Ben White: Brighton to Arsenal in 2021 for £50 million.
- Raheem Sterling: Liverpool to Manchester City in 2015 for £49 million.
- John Stones: Everton to Manchester City in 2016 for £47.5 million.
- Kyle Walker: Tottenham to Manchester City in 2017 for £45 million (rising to £50 million plus add-ons).
- Ben Chilwell: Leicester to Chelsea in 2020 for £45 million.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Real Madrid, Jude Bellingham, signing
Q: When did Real Madrid complete the signing of Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund?
A: Real Madrid completed the signing of Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund on a six-year deal. The announcement was made on June 7th.
Q: How much did Real Madrid pay for Jude Bellingham?
A: Real Madrid paid 103 million euros (£88.5 million) for the transfer of Jude Bellingham. There are also potential add-ons that could increase the total deal value to 133.9 million euros (£115 million).
Q: Who is the most expensive English footballer after Jude Bellingham?
A: Jack Grealish holds the title of the most expensive English footballer after his transfer from Aston Villa to Manchester City in 2021 for £100 million.
Q: Where did Jude Bellingham previously play before joining Borussia Dortmund?
A: Jude Bellingham began his career at Birmingham City before joining Borussia Dortmund.
Q: What achievements did Jude Bellingham have at Borussia Dortmund?
A: During his time at Borussia Dortmund, Jude Bellingham was named the Bundesliga’s player of the season. He also made history by becoming the club’s youngest captain at the age of 19.
Q: Who are the other most expensive teenage signings in football history?
A: The two most expensive teenage signings in football history are Kylian Mbappe, who was acquired by Paris St-Germain from Monaco for 180 million euros in 2018, and Joao Felix, who was signed by Atletico Madrid from Benfica for 126 million euros in 2019.
More about Real Madrid, Jude Bellingham, signing
- Real Madrid completes signing of Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund
- Jude Bellingham: Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid transfer details
- Jude Bellingham: Player Profile
- Jack Grealish: Aston Villa to Manchester City transfer
- Kylian Mbappe: Monaco to Paris St-Germain transfer
- Joao Felix: Benfica to Atletico Madrid transfer
