Madrid Secures Bellingham, Messi Slips Away From Barcelona

The intense rivalry between the two top Spanish clubs, Real Madrid and Barcelona, has a new chapter as of this Wednesday. It's a scenario that will make one team's supporters proud and hurt the fans of the rival team. All of this is related to the signings of the big stars that both clubs were pursuing for the upcoming season, in which Barcelona will defend their title while Real Madrid aims to reclaim it.

In the past hours, the signing of English midfielder Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid was finally confirmed. The deal is worth $103 million fixed, plus additional variable amounts. At the same time, Lionel Messi's decision to join Inter Miami was revealed, turning down offers that came from Saudi Arabia and even his long-time team, Barcelona.

The confirmation of both pieces of news puts an end to the speculations. Although it was known that the English midfielder and the white club had almost everything settled, the ghost of the Mbappé case always lingers in the minds of the fans. Meanwhile, the culé supporters have forever abandoned the dream of seeing their greatest player dressed in blue and garnet once again.

Real Madrid was aware that the time of Luka Modrić and Toni Kroos at the top was coming to an end. Despite having Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Federico Valverde, the squad needed something more, and that player was at Borussia Dortmund. Everything revolved around convincing him of a sports project that always delivers titles and abundant emotions.

The white team was not the only one bidding for the English player. Liverpool and Manchester City also made offers with much higher salaries. However, in the end, the player chose Real Madrid because the appeal of Santiago Bernabéu still carries weight in the football world. It's not just about the number of stars the club attracts year after year but also the number of trophies displayed in its halls.

Now, all that remains is to finalize the details for the presentation, find out which jersey number he will wear, and see how coach Carlo Ancelotti will manage the pieces at his disposal. This year, the Italian coach gave prominence to Eduardo Camavinga, but more as a left-back than as a pivot. Tchouameni lost his glamour after the Qatar World Cup and an injury, and the veterans regained their protagonism.

For the 2023-2024 season, Ancelotti is clear: Modric and Kroos will play, but the new generation of midfielders will shine in the big matches. These young players are expected to dominate the sport for the next seven to ten years. The coach faces the great challenge of integrating Bellingham because Florentino Perez wouldn't forgive wasting over 100 million euros on a player for the bench.

But those are future actions. The important thing is that the English midfielder is now part of Real Madrid and has become Florentino Perez's first major move in a potentially exciting transfer market. The club president needs to rebuild his attacking line after the departures of Marco Asensio, Mariano Diaz, Eden Hazard, and, above all, Karim Benzema, the last Ballon d'Or winner.

While Madrid saw the white smoke signaling the arrival of the English midfielder, Barcelona once again experienced sadness due to Lionel Messi's definitive goodbye. He ultimately accepted the offer from Inter Miami and rejected the chance to return to the club where he had spent more than a decade, winning the UEFA Champions League four times and most of his Ballon d'Or awards.

On Monday, the player's father and agent, Jorge Messi, met with the president of the Catalan team, Joan Laporta. However, it seems that the president's offer didn't convince the player. Jorge Messi mentioned that his son wanted to end his career in the team where he had achieved greatness and in a city he considers his own, as he grew up there after leaving his hometown of Rosario.

I heard that Barcelona has to sell players and cut wages to get me back. To be honest, I didn't want that to happen, to take responsibility for anything related to that.

Lionel Messi, quoted by Mundo Deportivo

But the uncertainty surrounding the deal, the possibility of Laporta backing out at the last minute as he did two years ago, which forced Messi to join PSG, led the World Cup champion to choose Inter Miami. It's a team owned by David Beckham, in a city where he has a home, the Spanish language is commonly spoken, and the American League will help him stay in shape for the upcoming Copa América, one of his objectives.

Messi not only said no to Barcelona but also to Saudi Arabia, an exotic league that several of the world's top veteran players have joined in recent months. Cristiano Ronaldo was the first to make the move after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, followed by Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kanté, who signed contracts worth around $100 million net per year, more than what the Argentine will receive in Miami.

If the captain of the Argentine national team had chosen Saudi Arabia, his salary would have approached $200 million per year. However, his family wouldn't be as happy as they would be in the southern United States. And not as happy as in Barcelona, where his friend and coach Xavi Hernández had opened doors for him to become the leader of the team once again.

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