25 October 2023 , 09:05
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Jude Bellingham has already broken the hearts of Liverpool fans by moving to Real Madrid this summer, and now the midfield star could be about to deal another blow to the Reds.
The Premier League club intensely pursued the 20-year-old, only to withdraw from the race when it emerged he favoured a move to Spain. He duly signed for the La Liga giants in a deal that could eventually be worth around £118million.
Thus far, he's been worth the money, scoring 11 times in 12 games, including his latest strike in the Champions League win at Braga on Tuesday. But Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp have since moved on, performing well domestically and reportedly lining up a swoop for Bayern Munich talent Jamal Musiala to compensate for the Bellingham blow.
Musiala, 20, already has 24 senior caps for Germany and is nominated for this year's Golden Boy award alongside the likes of Bellingham and Rasmus Hojlund. And he's already cemented hero status with Bayern fans, scoring 16 goals last season and coming off the bench to score the late winner against Koln in May that secured his side the Bundesliga title.
His current deal in Germany expires in June 2026., meaning if an extension isn't agreed by next summer, Bayern may be pushed to sell while they can still command a sizeable fee. And now Sky Sports Germany are reporting that the star's friendship with Bellingham could bring Real into the race.
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“Florentino Perez has the image of Musiala and Bellingham, the two friends from before who have always remained friends,” explained reporter Florian Plettenberg. "And Real Madrid is toying with the idea of uniting these two at some point."
Jude Bellingham could scupper Liverpool's transfer plans again (NurPhoto via Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! Is Jude Bellingham currently the best player in the world? Comment below.
Bellingham's powers of persuasion will only have been enhanced by his current form. And that's despite Musiala previously having experience of English football after youth stints with Southampton and Chelsea.
But now a player who graced both Anfield and the Bernabeu has weighed in. Steve McManaman believes rumours linking Musiala with a move away are "outlandish," and can't envisage the German champions permitting him to leave.
“I think he will always be linked with Liverpool because of Jurgen Klopp’s connection with the Bundesliga and Jamal’s English connection as well," he told Betfred. "I would be astounded if he was allowed to leave, especially at this moment because he scored the goal to win them the Bundesliga title last season, he’s young and he offers something completely different to what Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka bring to this Bayern Munich side."