Real Madrid have agreed a deal with Borussia Dortmund to sign England midfielder Jude Bellingham for 103m euros (£88.5m).
The 19-year-old, who joined Dortmund from Birmingham City in July 2020, was one of England’s top performers at last year’s World Cup.
Bellingham wants the move and will have a medical in the next few days.
The midfielder, who has been linked with some of Europe’s top sides, will sign a six-year deal.
Dortmund have confirmed in a statement that the Spanish side have agreed to pay 103m euros, with various potential add-ons on top of that.
If those add-ons are achieved, the deal could reach 133.9m euros (£115m).
Manchester City and Liverpool were two of the sides keen on Bellingham, who is set to become the world’s third-most expensive teenager.
The Bundesliga’s player of the season will also become the second-most expensive English footballer and Real Madrid’s second-most expensive signing after Eden Hazard’s 115m euro move from Chelsea in 2019.
| Most expensive English footballers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Transfer | Year | Fee |
| Jack Grealish | Aston Villa to Manchester City | 2021 | £100m |
| Harry Maguire | Leicester to Manchester United | 2019 | £80m |
| Jadon Sancho | Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United | 2021 | £73m |
| Kyle Walker | Tottenham to Manchester City | 2017 | £45m, rising to £50m plus add-ons |
| Aaron Wan-Bissaka | Crystal Palace to Manchester United | 2019 | £50m |
| Ben White | Brighton to Arsenal | 2021 | £50m |
| Raheem Sterling | Manchester City to Chelsea | 2022 | £50m |
| Raheem Sterling | Liverpool to Manchester City | 2015 | £49m |
| John Stones | Everton to Manchester City | 2016 | £47.5m |
| Ben Chilwell | Leicester to Chelsea | 2020 | £45m |
In April, Liverpool dropped out of the race to sign Bellingham because of the cost involved. Asked about Bellingham at the time, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp compared talk of big-money transfers to a “child wanting a Ferrari for Christmas”.
When Bellingham left Birmingham for Dortmund for £25m, becoming the most expensive 17-year-old in the history of football, the Championship side were mocked by some for retiring the teenager’s shirt number, despite him only playing one full season of professional football.
He excelled at Dortmund and in October last year he made history by becoming the club’s youngest captain aged 19.
Bellingham has played 42 times for his club this season – scoring 14 goals and registering seven assists.