Jude Bellingham is officially leaving Dortmund for Real Madrid, with the Bundesliga club confirming his imminent move for an eight-figure fee.
Earlier in the summer, it was widely expected that Liverpool would pull off a coup in convincing Bellingham to head to Anfield.
Instead, the finances involved in the deal led to the club removing themselves from the equation, instead targeting multiple midfielders for a similar, combined price tag.
As the Reds sign off on the arrival of Alexis Mac Allister for as little as £35 million, Dortmund have confirmed their agreement with Real.
In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, Dortmund explained that Bellingham is “close” to joining the Spanish giants for a fee of €103 million (£88.5m).
Bellingham will sign a six-year contract at the Bernabeu, with Real also agreeing up to €30.9 million (£26.5m) in various add-ons over that period.
The total fee that could be paid to Dortmund, then, would be £115 million.
While that remains lower than the price tags previously reported in the English and German press, it perhaps explains why Liverpool were no longer willing to pursue the teenager.
The salary agreed within Bellingham’s contract is as yet unclear, but it will almost certainly reflect the nature of the transfer.
Along with Mac Allister, the Reds are expected to sign at least two more midfielders, with the likes of Khephren Thuram, Manu Kone, Romeo Lavia and Gabri Veiga linked.
Mason Mount was considered a primary target alongside Bellingham, but a move for the Chelsea midfielder may also be too costly for Liverpool to justify.
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