Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior has admitted that he was doing his part to persuade Jude Bellingham to join Real Madrid last year.
The 20-year-old had options to return back to his native England, with both Manchester City and Liverpool offering him Premier League football, and according to Florentino Perez, more lucrative contracts.
However Los Blancos convinced Bellingham that the Santiago Bernabeu was the place to be, with Diario AS noting that Vinicius was part of that effort.
“I wanted Bellingham at Real Madrid. I sent Jude a lot of messages last year. I sent him messages almost every day and telling him to come to Madrid.”
Meanwhile Bellingham was full of praise for Vinicius too. The Brazilian has missed several games through injury this season, but the early connection between the two was evident in their 3-2 win over Napoli.
“He’s incredible. He’s probably the best in the world for me. He is one of the most talented teammates I have ever had. He makes the matches easier for me. His speed, his talent…”
The major question for Carlo Ancelotti is whether he can get the best of both at the same time. Against Napoli, the Italian made it work with Bellingham and Vinicius, but the system has been set up in order to exploit Bellingham’s talent. With Vinicius moving further inside, it remains to be seen if he can replicate his form from last season.
