Jude Bellingham admits 'vibrations throughout the house' were key to rejecting Liverpool in order to fulfil Real Madrid dream

The England international held talks with several clubs in the summer of 2023 as he plotted his next move after Borussia Dortmund. Liverpool were among those clubs, and their fans were hopeful that former midfielder Jordan Henderson was fulfilling 'Agent Hendo' duties during international windows, but Bellingham ended up signing for Real Madrid in a deal worth €103 million (£88m/$110m).

Bellingham hasn't looked back since moving to Los Blancos. His debut campaign was a huge success that yielded La Liga and Champions League glory, along with La Liga Player of the Season honours after a 19-goal effort. And while talks were held with Liverpool, the Reds simply had no chance of recruiting the 21-year-old once the Spanish giants got in touch.

"It wasn’t as close as it was said," Bellingham said ahead of Real's Champions League clash with Liverpool. "There were conversations. There was Dortmund and I did it with several clubs. When Real Madrid call you, there are vibrations throughout the house. It’s not the fact that the others weren’t good, it’s that Real Madrid is another level."

Bellingham can remind Liverpool of what could have been during Wednesday's encounter at Anfield. The defending European champions are in need of three points after losing two of their opening four League Phase games.