'It definitely does bug me' - Bellingham admits to Dortmund frustration amid Real Madrid transfer links

• Bellingham admits to BVB frustration
• Currently placed sixth in Bundesliga
• Midfielder linked with a move to Madrid

WHAT HAPPENED? Dortmund's inconsistent season sees them languishing down in sixth spot in the Bundesliga table. They have won just eight of their 15 matches in the league and are nine points adrift of leaders Bayern Munich. Bellingham is one of the mainstays of the side and believes that their position in the table does not do justice to the talent they have in the squad. The England international, who starred for his country at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, has urged his club teammates to "step up" their game so that they can do "something special" in the second half of the season.

WHAT THEY SAID: Bellingham has told the club's official website: "It definitely does bug me. While I was at the World Cup, I was really focused on England. Then the World Cup finishes, and you have to live with the fact that you look at the table and it says that Borussia Dortmund are sixth. And there's no way we should be there in the table given the talent. No disrespect to the teams above us right now, but I feel in terms of quality, in terms of the player depth and in positions, we should be a lot higher than we are.

"I'm not afraid to say that to the lads and say that to the staff because that's where our ambition should be. But it's about doing instead of talking. I'm really, really motivated to turn it around. With the team that we've got and if we all step up our game a little bit more, we can really do something special in the second half of the season."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Bellingham is now considered among the best midfielders in Europe and GOAL has already confirmed that he is Real Madrid's number one summer transfer target. The German club will reportedly demand at least €120m (£105.7m) for the 19-year-old, but he is not bogged down by the pressure that comes with being such a sought-after talent. He added; "I think you create the pressure yourself through lack of preparation and confidence. Luckily, I don't lack confidence and I always try and stay prepared. I'm always quite confident that I can achieve the things I want to achieve."

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WHAT NEXT FOR BELLINGHAM? The England starlet will be looking to give his best for Dortmund when they get back to action against Augsburg in the Bundesliga on January 22.