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Dortmund crowd favourite Jude Bellingham: "It's an honour to wear your jersey"
Photo: Martin Meissner / AP
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham joins Real Madrid next season. As both clubs confirmed, the last contract details have now been clarified.
BVB will receive 103 million euros for the midfielder as a fixed transfer fee and will also receive bonus payments for the England international up to a maximum total amount of around 30 percent of the fixed amount. The 19-year-old will be officially unveiled in Madrid on Thursday afternoon.
Bellingham has signed a contract with the Spanish top club until 2029. Due to the performance-related variables in the contract, BVB can cash in until the end. Bellingham is the second most expensive sale by a German club after Ousmane Dembélé, who moved from Dortmund to Barcelona in 2017 for up to €140m.
The listed Bundesliga club had already announced last week in an ad-hoc announcement about the transfer of the professional, who is actually bound until 2025. On Wednesday, BVB boss Hans-Joachim Watzke said: "We thank Jude for three years of passion for Borussia Dortmund. It was a fantastic time together.«
Dortmund wants to reinvest most of the money
Bellingham came to Dortmund in the summer of 2020 at the age of 17 from English second division club Birmingham City. In a total of 132 appearances (24 goals) he had developed into a top performer. "It was an honour to wear your jersey so often, in big and small moments," he said as he bid farewell.
The transfer fee, which could ideally rise to up to 135 million, comes in handy for Dortmund after a season of missed opportunities. The club is planning a squad reshuffle.
Watzke had already announced some time ago "that we will reinvest about 60 to 65 percent of the transfer sums we achieve in this period."
Bellingham as key player in Real's squad reshuffle
Real Madrid's squad is also due to be rebuilt after failing to win the Champions League and the Spanish league last season. Following the signings of Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni in recent seasons, Bellingham is Madrid's latest move to refresh the successful midfield of Luka Modrić, Toni Kroos and Casemiro.
Casemiro was sold to Manchester United last summer, while Modrić is 37 and Kroos are 33. Striker Karim Benzema had already moved to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad. Eden Hazard, Marco Asensio and Mariano Díaz will also leave the club.
The signing of Kylian Mbappé is still possible. He has informed Paris Saint-Germain that he will not extend his contract beyond next season. This means that it could be for sale in the summer. Tottenham's Harry Kane has also been linked with a move to Madrid.
vgl/dpa