Jude Bellingham’s summer move to Real Madrid showed how the La Liga giants can still dominate the transfer market.
Los Blancos had earmarked the England international as a priority signing, following his impressive rise to prominence at Borussia Dortmund, despite a long standing link to rivals Liverpool.
After Liverpool pulled out of the race to sign Bellingham in June, Real Madrid appeared unopposed in their pursuit of the 20-year-old, but that may not have been the case.
As per reports from Cadena SER, interest from Manchester City was genuine, as they looked to beat Real Madrid to a deal on Bellingham, in a bold move.
City head coach Pep Guardiola reportedly called Bellingham in his final days at Dortmund, to persuade him to opt for Manchester over Madrid, as part of a sensational twist.
The report adds how Guardiola spoke to Bellingham for three hours, in an attempt to change his mind, with the temptation of City being in a better position than Real Madrid to win major trophies, but Bellingham declined.
Guardiola accepted the final decision and wished Bellingham luck in Madrid with the former Barcelona boss signing Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes to bolster his midfield.
