Jude Bellingham's future was poised to be the sub-plot of the summer, but the proactivity of a particular member of Europe's elite likely means there will be little time for a saga to develop.
A whole host of clubs were said to be interested in acquiring the England international at the end of the 2022/23 season, but Borussia Dortmund's hefty price tag forced several clubs, including Liverpool, out of the running.
Instead of putting all of their eggs in the Bellingham basket, the Reds are now primed to take a more Moneyball-esque approach to rebuilding and reshaping their midfield.
Real Madrid and Man City, however, are two clubs that seemingly haven't been deterred by the midfielder's price tag and it's the Spanish giants who have taken considerable strides to securing the signing of the youngster.
How close are Real Madrid to signing Jude Bellingham?
Real Madrid are leading the race to sign Bellingham, with many believing the current European champions are the midfielder's preferred destination this summer.
90min reported that the meeting between Bellingham's father and Real Madrid chief scout Juni Calafat was hugely positive and the player is close to reaching a deal with the Spanish behemoths. Real, however, are yet to strike a deal with the German club. While it's unclear how much it'll cost to convince Dortmund to sell, it's almost certain that Bellingham will garner a fee close to €150m (£130.4m).
Negotiations are said to be in their final stages and the impending contract extensions of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric will not have any impact on the potential deal. Real regard Bellingham as their present and future.
Are Borussia Dortmund trying to keep Jude Bellingham?
Err...absolutely!
While Dortmund are fully aware that it'll be hard to keep the teenager on their books for next season, they are giving it a go - hence why they're demanding a club-record fee for his sale this summer.
Bellingham's current deal expires in 2025, but Dortmund are willing to offer him a bumper new deal in a bid to convince him to stay. Reports suggest BVB have offered the midfielder a fresh salary of €14m, but that offer pales in comparison to Real's supposed €20m offering.
After dazzling for three seasons in the Bundesliga, the time now seems right for Bellingham to move on.
Are Man City still interested in signing Jude Bellingham?
City are certainly still in the hunt, but they've got to move right now if they're to have any chance of snatching Bellingham away from Real Madrid.
The back-to-back Premier League champions hold an interest in the midfielder, but they're yet to send any sort of offer to Dortmund or Bellingham.
Some thought the England international would be an excellent replacement for Ilkay Gundogan, whose contract expires in the summer, but his recent form will surely convince the club to negotiate a new deal.
Read the latest on Jude Bellingham's slated move to Real Madrid
Why have Liverpool pulled out of the Jude Bellingham race?
Liverpool's midfield is in dire need of a refresh and Bellingham appeared to be the ultimate solution to the Reds' woes.
The Merseyside club certainly boasted an interest in the box-to-box midfielder before pulling out of the race in April. Bellingham long appeared to be the answer to their problems, with club legends like Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher doing their bit in the media to get the England international to Anfield.
However, the club simply cannot commit such a significant amount of resources to signing one player when such a major rebuild of the squad is required to help Liverpool return to their apex.
Instead, the Reds will rebuild their midfield with a couple of additions. They also possess an interest in Chelsea's Mason Mount, Brighton's Alexis Mac Allister and Inter's Nicolo Barella.
This article was originally published on 90min as Is Jude Bellingham joining Real Madrid?.
