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Jude Bellingham explains why he joined Real Madrid in €103m transfer & sets target for debut season at Santiago Bernabeu.
Jude Bellingham gave an explanation of his decision to accept Real Madrid’s €103 million (£89 million/$112 million) price tag and the goals he has set for his first season.
After spending three years in Germany, the 20-year-old midfielder has completed a high-profile transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid. When wearing a famous white shirt in the Spanish capital, Bellingham is aware that all eyes would be on him, but he claims to be enjoying the pressure being put on his youthful shoulders.
Bellingham told Sky Sports when asked if he feels any kind of pressure: “Not really. I think it follows you everywhere. People are saying to me that there is pressure on the move and stuff like that. Wherever I was going to take my next step there was going to be pressure, so it’s one of those things now that I get to enjoy because I’m under it so much. It’s all about finding ways of coping and I’m having a great time.”
Bellingham is already setting lofty targets for his first season in Madrid, with the England international eager to get his hands on major silverware.
He added on his goals with the Blancos: “Just to try and win. That’s why the club have signed me, that’s why I’m there. That’s why I have joined the biggest club in the world, to try and keep adding to the history and win trophies. I’m buzzing. It’s a move that is a dream move for me. I’m there now. I feel like I’ve done all the talking, now it’s about getting ready and starting playing. I’m just so happy to be at the club.”
Asked whether the pressure is something he feels, not least having become the most expensive English player of all time and the first Englishman to join Real since Michael Owen and Jonathan Woodgate in 2004, Bellingham replied: “Not really.”
He added, “[Pressure] follows you everywhere. People are saying to me there is pressure on the move, but wherever I was going to take my next step there was going to be pressure. It’s one of those things that I get the chance to enjoy because I’m under it so much – it’s all about finding ways of coping and I’m having a great time trying.”
Bellingham has signed a six-year contract with Real Madrid that will keep him at the club until 2029. He will compete for regular game time in 2023-24 with players like Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Eduardo Camavinga.