Jude Bellingham Signs 6-Year Real Madrid Contract, Completes Transfer from Dortmund

Real Madrid announced Wednesday that they officially signed 19-year-old midfielder Jude Bellingham to a six-year contract.

According to ESPN, that completes a €103 million transfer agreement from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid, which was reached last week.

Bellingham expressed excitement over joining the La Liga side and also thanked Dortmund in a statement:

"Thank you to everyone at BVB and to the fans for everything over the past three years. It's been an honor to wear your jersey so many times, in big and small moments.

"Even though I look forward to my next destination, I will never forget the journey there. Once a Borusse, always a Borusse. All the best for the future. Hey BVB!"

Real Madrid reportedly faced competition from Manchester City in landing the 19-year-old, but the Spanish side won out in negotiations.

Bellingham began his pro career at Birmingham City in 2019-20 before spending the next three seasons at Dortmund.

This past season was the teenager's best, as he scored eight goals in 31 Bundesliga appearances and 14 goals in 42 matches across all competitions.

With Bellingham in a prominent role, Dortmund nearly won the Bundesliga for the first time since 2012, but Bayern Munich overtook them on the final day of the season.

Bellingham also made his presence felt on the international stage last year, starting all five matches for England at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and becoming the second-youngest player to score for the Three Lions in the tournament.

Now, Bellingham will look to help Real Madrid get back to the top of La Liga after finishing second to Barcelona in 2022-23.

Los Blancos have finished third or better in the league standings every year since the 2003-04 season, and they are coming off winning the Copa del Rey and reaching the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League.

Now, Real Madrid have one of the most talented, young players in the world in Bellingham, and he will have a chance to grow into a potential superstar in the coming years as part of an elite club.