Jude Bellingham explains why he rejected Liverpool and Man City for Real Madrid

Jude Bellingham insists he could not refuse the chance to join Real Madrid this summer and admits their win against Liverpool in last year’s Champions League final was a ‘big factor’ behind his decision to move to the Spanish club.

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The 19-year-old has now completed his move to Madrid with the Spanish side agreeing a €133.9 million (£114.5m) deal with Borussia Dortmund.

Madrid fended off strong competition from Manchester City and Liverpool, who had both pushed hard to sign the England international this summer.

But Bellingham is adamant that Madrid was his preferred destination once they registered their interest.

‘For a start, money is not a thing for me,’ Bellingham said at his unveiling in Madrid on Thursday.

‘I don’t think about money at all when I make these kind of decisions, I never have and I never will, I play the game purely out of love.

‘I spoke with the people when I got permission from Borussia Dortmund, I spoke with Juni [Calafat, Madrid’s chief scout], I spoke with Jose Angel [Sanchez, Madrid’s CEO], and I love the feeling I got from the club, I couldn’t hide it.

‘I told them more or less straight away what I felt about the club, after I made my decision I wanted it to all happen quickly.

‘It wasn’t the case of the other teams are bad, or they weren’t good, it’s just that, for me, Madrid is the greatest.’

Bellingham also revealed that a secret meeting with Madrid’s recruitment team was the moment he knew he was heading for La Liga.

‘I think the exact moment is hard to say, I had the meeting where they came to my house and I was sold, to be honest, but I can’t remember when that was,’ Bellingham said.

‘That was the moment when, for me, it was definite.

‘Like I said, you’re always in admiration of the club. Watching them win the Champions League, I was at the final when they beat Liverpool, that was another huge factor, but there are a load of things really that go into making the decision to join this club.’

Bellingham also said he was eager to be out of his comfort zone, which is why he turned down the chance to play in the Premier League.

‘Of course, at the World Cup and at the national team camps it’s hard, all of them are wanting me to come back to England and play for their teams, which I really appreciate,’ Bellingham said.

‘But I like the idea of this being out of my comfort zone, if you like. Maybe it would be an easier option to go back to England, my native country, and live there and play in the Premier League. But I couldn’t turn down Real Madrid, really. The club is so big, it just felt like the right move for me.

‘Like I said before, it wasn’t because the other clubs were bad, it was because Real Madrid is where I want to be.’

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