Spanish media ‘Fichajes’ reported on the 19th (Korean time) that Saudi Arabia is exploring the possibility of transferring Real Madrid ace Bellingham. Yonhap News Agency
Saudi Arabia’s bombardment of money knows no end. This time, he’s aiming for a Real Madrid superstar.
Spanish media ‘Fichajes’ reported on the 19th (Korean time) that Saudi Arabia is exploring the possibility of transferring Real Madrid ace Bellingham.
“Saudi Arabia is preparing to make major investments for the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Currently, the government is allocating 4 billion euros (about 5.9965 trillion won) for investment in sports to show off Saudi wealth and ambition.”
“In addition to disrupting Vinicius Júnior’s contract, the Saudis will also target another Real player, Bellingham,” he said.
Bellingham is Real’s ace at the moment. Already regarded as a talent to shake up European football beyond England at Birmingham City, he blossomed at Dortmund (Germany) before moving to Real for the 2023-2024 season. At the time, Real invested 103 million euros (about 154.4 billion won) to sign Bellingham.
Bellingham immediately filled the void left by Karim Benzema at the time and became a key part of Real’s attack. Deployed as a second-line striker, he has shown a tremendous impact by supporting Vinicius and Rodrigo in front of him, while also increasing his attacking point production.
Bellingham, who led Real to La Liga title and a UEFA Champions League double in the 2023-2024 season, has 23 goals and 13 assists in 43 games in all competitions, including 19 goals and six assists in 28 league games, despite a disappointing second half.
After a hiatus due to a muscle injury earlier this season, Bellingham has moved down to midfield with the arrival of Kylian Mbappe. In addition, he has established himself as a leader in the squad and is also being called the next captain.
Bellingham, who is currently under contract until the summer of 2029, is considered the present and future of Real. The 21-year-old is still a long-time spell at Real and his asking price has soared to €180 million, according to Transfermarkt. This is the transfer fee that Real offered PSG back in 2021, when Mbappe was in his prime.
Then the Saudis began to approach Bellingham. Saudi Arabia has been investing heavily since the Saudi sovereign wealth fund (PIF) launched a sportswashing project in earnest, and in football, starting with the acquisition of Newcastle United, Cristiano Ronaldo of Al-Nassr has been the catalyst for strategically growing the Saudi professional league.
Among Real players, Benzema moved to Al-Ittihad in the summer of 2023. Benzema, who is Islamic, did not re-sign with Real without hesitation and opted for a transfer to the FA.
Last summer, he also approached Vinicius. At the time, Brazilian media reported that “Saudi Arabia is preparing negotiations to appoint Vinicius as an ambassador ahead of the 2034 World Cup. We’re going to recruit him to Al-Ahly.”
Saudi Arabia’s proposal, which was announced at the time, is worth 1 billion euros (about 1.4991 trillion won) over five years, which is unimaginable in Europe. Real refused, but it was enough to stun the world.
A similar level of investment is expected to be made in the signing of Bellingham. He is regarded as a key player at Real as Vinicius and his marketing power is immense.
However, Bellingham is looking to continue his career at Real. Spanish media outlet OK Diario called for him to stay at Real, saying: “Bellingham is happy in Madrid and is not thinking about leaving there yet.”