Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior has revealed that he pestered Jude Bellingham to join the club throughout last season, eventually getting his way when a transfer that could be worth up to €134m (£116m) by the time all add-ons are triggered was completed in June.
Bellingham had already established himself a reputation as one of the best midfielders in the world. He was still a teenager when his move to Madrid was announced, turning 20 just two weeks later, but hasn't been fazed in the slightest by the expectation on his young shoulders.
The England international has hit the ground running in a more advanced role than he had previously been known for, scoring eight times in just nine appearances across all competitions. The eighth of those came in Madrid's 3-2 Champions League win away at Napoli this week and he is remarkably the club's top scorer in the absence of a prominent central striker since Karim Benzema left.
No Englishman has ever finished a season as Real Madrid's top scorer, with Bellingham already halfway to matching Michael Owen's record tally of 16 goals across all competitions in 2004/05.
But his path could easily have been different. Manchester City and Liverpool were both keen on the player last season in the hope that he would opt to return to England after three years in Germany. Both clubs, alongside Madrid, were confident in the package that they put forward to the player and his camp, although Liverpool eventually pulled out amid concerns over the price.
Borussia Dortmund were also willing to make Bellingham the highest-paid player in their history to keep him an extra year in exchange for inserting a release clause into a proposed new contract that would have facilitated a smooth exit for a fixed fee below market value in 2024.
But going to Madrid was his immediate choice and Vinicius has hinted he might have played at least a small part in it.
"I wanted Jude at Real Madrid!" the Brazilian told the media after both players had scored against Napoli. "I sent many messages to Bellingham last year. I was texting [him] almost every day and I was telling him: 'Come to Madrid'."
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This article was originally published on 90min as The role Vinicius Junior played in Real Madrid signing Jude Bellingham.
