Real Madrid signs midfielder Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund

Jude Bellingham, the 19-year-old English footballer, today (June 7) officially signed for the Spanish club Real Madrid after spending three years at the Bundesliga club, Borussia Dortmund.

According to reports, it has been confirmed that Real has signed the young midfielder for a sum of €103 million plus bonuses, with add-ons amounting to up to 30 per cent of the fixed amount. The contract signed is valid until June 2029.

In April, Liverpool dropped out of the race for Bellingham after determining that the estimated asking price and overall financial package were too excessive.

Bellingham has developed into one of Europe's most sought-after midfielders, with a number of top clubs previously reported to be following his status at Dortmund.

Bellingham was born in the city of Stourbridge, England. A Birmingham City fan, Bellingham joined the team at the age of seven. In August 2019, he made his senior debut for the club in an English League Cup match against Portsmouth, becoming the youngest player ever to feature for the club; he broke Trevor Francis's long-standing 49-year-old record of 16 years and 38 days. At the end of that month, Bellingham also became Birmingham's youngest-ever goalscorer, breaking another record held by club icon Francis, by coming off the bench to score the winner against Stoke City on his home debut. Two weeks later, he scored against Charlton Athletic, proving his first goal was no fluke. 

He joined Dortmund in the summer of 2020, after which he has never looked back, becoming a crucial player for the Bundesliga club, often captaining them, as well as a regular in Gareth Southgate's England National Team. He became the Bundesliga's youngest-ever captain (since data collection began in 1995) when he wore the armband on Matchday 8 of the 2022–23 season against Cologne.

Bellingham, at the age of 19 years and 98 days, is also the youngest captain to score in a UEFA Champions League match. He is also the third-youngest captain in Champions League history, trailing only Ruben Neves (18 years, 221 days) for Porto and Matthijs de Ligt (19 years, 51 days) for Ajax. Jude Bellingham was also the first midfielder in UEFA Champions League history to score in three consecutive appearances.