Real Madrid transfer makes Jude Bellingham most expensive English player ever

On Wednesday, La Liga giants Real Madrid officially confirmed the signing of England International Jude Bellingham from Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund. The deal reportedly costs £115 million, making him the most expensive English footballer to date.

Bellingham's move was been in the rumour mill for several months, and the confirmation of his move has been welcomed by Real Madrid fans with great excitement especially following the departure of star forward Karim Benzema.

Real Madrid fans were left heartbroken after the Frenchman chose a big money move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad instead of signing a contract extension. However, club president Florentino Perez eased their pain rather quickly by sealing the deal to sign the 19-year-old midfielder.

Bellingham is the most expensive English footballer ever.

Even though records change hands rather quickly these days thanks to seemingly unlimited funds coming in from places such as the Middle East, Bellingham currently holds the record as the most expensive English player. The feat is even more impressive considering how Real Madrid is one of the few member-owned clubs left in the world.

The £115 million deal between Los Blancos and Borussia Dortmund is £15m higher than the previous record held by Jack Grealish after Manchester city paid £100 million for his move from Aston Villa in 2021.

As he starts his journey at the Santiago Bernabeu, Bellingham will be earning an a weekly salary of £220,000-a-week. That doubles his salary from what he was previously earning at Dortmund, which is reported to be about £110,000 a week. However, the English lad did give up on a potentially bigger salary had he chosen to sign with Manchester City. However, he opted to join Los Blancos, and was welcomed with open arms by the players and fans alike.

He is set to undergo a medical on Thursday and will then be presented to Madridistas at the club's headquarters at Valdebebas. The club's social media platforms did not lack in their efforts to welcome the 19-year-old, with numerous photos and videos already shared about his arrival.

Real Madrid hoping to make sound investment

Real Madrid's most high profile British signing in recent years remains to be Wales legend Gareth Bale, who joined the club from Tottenham Hotspur FC. Bale was instrumental in Real Madrid's success for a number of years, and even scored a memorable goal off a bicycle kick in the 2018 Champions League final against Liverpool.

The latter stage of his career was marred by injury, and he spent his final years with Los Blancos on the bench before moving on to MLS side LA Galaxy before retiring last year.

Bellingham meanwhile, is only 19 years old and is at the peak of his health. Expectations are high that he can become an integral part of the squad in the future, especially with midfield heroes Luka Modric and Toni Kroos approaching the twilight of their respective careers.

Bellingham caught Real Madrid's attention after a stellar performance with Dortmund. He was named as the German Bundesliga's "Player of the Season," and it came as a huge disappointment that he was not able to help the club get over the line to beat Bayern Munich to the title. They missed out only on goal difference, with both teams finishing level on 71 points.

His arrival for such a big sum qualifies him as a member of the new "Galacticos Era" by Florentino Perez. The president is known for making huge signings that eventually become club legends and worldwide superstars such as the likes of Luis Figo, Ronaldo Nazario, Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Toni Kroos, Xabi Alonso, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

However, he also signed a few players who did not live up to expectations and pretty much flopped at the Bernabeu. Kaka arrived in 2009 but spent much of his time with Real Madrid in the recovery room. 2014 World Cup golden boy James Rodriguez joined the club after an impressive performance for Colombia, but never managed to settle in with the squad. In 2019, Perez also signed Eden Hazard from Chelsea in a deal worth £400,000 per week. Unfortunately, he also suffered recurring injuries and was never able to make a significant impact before being released this summer.

Such is a fate that Bellingham will want to avoid, with patience short and expectations very high in the biggest club in the world.