Kroos shades Hazard as Real Madrid completes Bellingham transfer
Describing him as one of the "biggest talents in world football" Real Madrid on Wednesday confirmed the signing of England midfielder Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund — but Madrid veteran Toni Kroos is urging caution while taking a swipe at one of the club's recently departed players.
Madrid did not confirm the transfer fee, but Dortmund said in a statement to the stock exchange last week that it could reach more than $139 million. The German club said the fixed fee was $110 million, plus variables that could reach more than $32 million over the next six seasons.
Madrid and its supporters hope that the Bellingham signing works out much better than their last extremely costly signing, when Real Madrid paid $142 million to bring in star winger Eden Hazard from Chelsea. Hazard's tenure in the Spanish capital was a disaster due to injuries and poor form, as Hazard only scored seven goals in 76 appearances with Madrid before the two agreed to terminate his contract earlier this year.
Kroos evoked Hazard, shading his former teammate as a cautionary tale when it comes to big-money transfers, when discussing Bellingham on a recent episode of his podcast.
"We had another player who came for a lot of money and basically let his career die," Kroos said, via Madrid Xtra. "It was a lot of money, I think everyone would say that wasn't a good transfer. But let's be positive."
[10 most expensive transfers in soccer history: Is Kylian Mbappe next?]
Bellingham is a statement signing for Madrid after relinquishing its Champions League and La Liga titles to Manchester City and Barcelona, respectively, last season.
At 19, Bellingham had already established himself among the most sought-after players in soccer, with Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain among his admirers.
But he has chosen to team up with 14-time European champion Madrid on a six-year contract, joining aging stars Kroos and Luka Modric in the Los Blancos midfield.
England's Jude Bellingham scores goal vs. Iran | 2022 FIFA World Cup
″Thank you everyone associated with BVB and the fans for everything over the last three years," Bellingham said in a statement on Dortmund's website. "It was an honor to wear your jersey so many times whether it was in the high or low moments.
"While I’m happy about my next destination I will never forget the journey I went on to get there.″
Bellingham becomes the second-biggest sale by a German club, following Ousmane Dembélé's move from Dortmund to Barcelona in 2017 for up to $173 million.
Following the signings of Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni in recent seasons, Bellingham represents Madrid's latest step to refresh its all-conquering midfield of Modric, Kroos and Casemiro.
Casemiro was sold to Manchester United last summer, while Modric is 37 and Kroos is 33. The latter two are both expected to return to Madrid next season.
Madrid is entering a period of transition and needs to sign a new striker after Karim Benzema left for Saudi Arabian team Al-Ittihad.
In addition to Benzema and Hazard, key veterans Marco Asensio and Mariano Díaz are also leaving.
Long-term target Kylian Mbappé has told PSG he will not extend his current contract beyond next season, meaning he could be put up for sale this summer.
Tottenham’s Harry Kane, Bellingham's international teammate and the captain of the England national team, has also been linked with a move to Madrid.
[Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane could be soccer’s biggest transfer stories this summer]
Coach Carlo Ancelotti said attack was an area Madrid needed to address.
"That’s where we have to act and we’re going to do it without any rush," he said. "We have time to do it without any rush. We’re looking for a striker who can score goals and link up well with the others."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
