What did Jude Bellingham really say to Mason Greenwood? Lip-reader sheds light on Real Madrid star's alleged slur towards Getafe's Man Utd loanee

The Real Madrid midfielder lined up against the Manchester United-owned winger when facing Getafe in La Liga action on Thursday. The England internationals crossed paths throughout that contest, with one challenge in particular causing a stir.

Bellingham was caught on camera aiming a supposed slur in Greenwood’s direction, with Getafe reportedly requesting that the incident be included in the post-game match report pieced together by referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea.

Without audio, any case against Bellingham will be difficult to prove. Forensic lip-reader Jeremy Freeman has, however, told the Daily Mail when offering his opinion on what was said: “After carefully analysing the clip, I am 97 per cent confident that the spoken word is ‘rapist’, particularly when considering the context in which it was used. The visual cues of the lips indicate the presence of the 'R' and 'P' sounds, and the word appears to end sharply. Additionally, the speaker seems to have a pronounced Brummie accent, which I factored into my interpretation. Given the clarity of these visual markers and the absence of any viable alternative interpretation, I am quite certain of this conclusion.”

It remains to be seen whether Bellingham could be punished for the alleged slur. Greenwood is spending the 2023-24 campaign on loan in Spain from Premier League giants United. He saw allegations of attempted rape, assault, and coercive behaviour dropped in February 2023 – freeing him to resume his professional career.