Real Madrid are so close to securing a deal to sign the Engish talent Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund. Jude has been the target for Premier League clubs including Manchester City but negotiations with Madrid are progressing to the final stages. The Champions League holders have almost agreed personal terms with Bellingham. The work of their chief scout, Juni Calafat, has been important in accelerating discussions to this point. A meeting is scheduled to try to complete an agreement with Dortmund.

Read Also: Lionel Messi stats for PSG: The GOAT's adventures in Paris

Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid is very close

No fee has been settled between Madrid & Dortmund. Real do not anticipate a problem in that regard and they hope to finalise matters this month. The progress made by the Spanish club would be a huge blow for Manchester City.

Liverpool withdrew from the race last month because the cost would have restricted the planned overhaul of Jürgen Klopp's squad. Manchester United are interested in the player but that was contingent on moves by the Glazers to sell the club or take outside investment.

Jude Bellingham joined Dortmund from Birmingham in 2020 and has developed into one of the world's most exciting players. For Real Madrid, there is succession planning as well as short-term thinking involved in targeting Bellingham, with Toni Kroos and Luka Modric aged 33 and 37 respectively.

Real Madrid have been well off the pace in La Liga this season. Tuesday's defeat against Real Sociedad left them 14 points behind Barcelona. Barcelona just have to register a victory in the next game to secure the title. Real Madrid remain in contention for two trophies. They will face City in the Champions League semi-finals, with the first leg at the Bernabéu on Tuesday, and play Osasuna in Saturday's Copa del Rey final.

FIFA is reportedly considering the possibility of arranging a one-game play-off between Major League Soccer (MLS) club Los Angeles FC and Liga MX giants Club America to decide which team will represent the expelled Club Leon at the 2025 Club World Cup.  

🤯🇲🇽 BREAKING: FIFA has drawn up plans to hold a one-game playoff between Club America and LAFC to determine a replacement team for Club Leon at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. 🇺🇸🏆

Via @lizzy_becherano - @espn pic.twitter.com/ZVFSfcZPZ6

— All Fútbol MX 🇲🇽 (@AllFutbolMX) March 30, 2025

A FIFA spokesperson disclosed on Sunday that the organization is actively weighing the feasibility of this play-off match, whereas the winner of this playoff would also receive $9.55 million in prize money given by FIFA to teams qualified from the Concacaf zone.

However, FIFA's consideration does not include the Costa Rican side Deportiva Alajuelense after the club lodged a complaint in 2024, which led to Leon's subsequent removal from the tournament.

Read Also | FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Draw: Groups, Format, and Schedule

The controversial exclusion of Club Leon

Costa Rican outfit Alajuelense’s complaint regarding the multi-ownership issue initiated the investigation by the FIFA Appeal Committee back in November 2024, which eventually led to Club Leon’s exclusion.

FIFA announced the decision to expel the Mexican side Club Leon from the expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup 2025 last week due to the club's shared ownership with Pachuca, another team that competes in Mexico's top division, Liga MX.

TODOS LO GANAMOS, JUNTOS LO DEFENDEMOS.

Más unidos que nunca.#SerFieraEsUnOrgullo 🦁 pic.twitter.com/BEXp7VbCjl

— Club León (@clubleonfc) March 31, 2025

Pachuca also qualified for the Club World Cup after winning the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup, while Club Leon earned its qualification after clinching the 2023 edition of the same tournament. However, Grupo Pachuca owns both the teams and holds stakes in Spanish side Real Oviedo and some other clubs as well.

This joint ownership violated the multi-club ownership requirements defined under Article 10, paragraph 1 of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Regulations outlined by FIFA.

FIFA is considering a play-off game to replace Leon

According to different sources, FIFA is considering an unconventional approach to organize a single play-off game to determine which team would replace Club Leon in the competition.

Renowned football journalist Ben Jacobs has indicated a showdown between Club America and Los Angeles FC is on the cards, with the winner securing the coveted last place in the Group D, consisting of Chelsea, Flamengo, and Esperance.

The FIFA spokesperson stated the following on Sunday:

LAFC would participate as runner-up to Club Léon in the 2023 Concacaf Champions League through which Club Léon had qualified, Club América would participate as the top-ranked team in the FIFA Club World Cup confederation ranking through which qualification is also determined.

The winner of the play-off would qualify unless legal proceedings rule otherwise.

The plans to commence the process of arranging a play-off will begin if Club Leon loses their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to be reinstated to the Club World Cup.

CAS has called for a hearing on April 23 in Madrid, Spain, where Leon and Deportiva Alajuelense both will be presented the opportunity to put forward their arguments. Alajuelense had previously filed the complaint at CAS, asserting that León's inclusion was against FIFA regulations as they have also claimed a spot in the tournament instead.

Read Also | Costa Rican side Deportiva Alajuelense demand Club World Cup spot following Club Leon's exclusion

Both clubs must submit their legal documents by April 2, prior to the hearing on the 23rd. Any announcements concerning a possible substitute will likely not be made until the legal issues are settled.

"I think it's a grave injustice": James Rodriguez expressed his disappointment

The exclusion of Club Leon has heavily affected the Mexican side's talisman player, the Colombian star James Rodriguez. The former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder did not hesitate to express his disappointment regarding this decision. He said:

I think it's a grave injustice. We all believe that. We won on the pitch. The club and the players are hurt by this. If we're out, it's not fair. The team that would replace us would be stained, and football would be stained.

So many fans have planned to travel to the tournament; how do you tell them that they can't go? I have a lot of questions about all this. It's odd. I think FIFA has to get their things together. Football is stained by this. 

ESPN revealed that when asked about qualifying for the tournament, Club América head coach Andre Jardine assured his team's eagerness to earn the spot by battling on the field. According to him:

León should go to the Club World Cup. I'm sad for the institution, and I'd like them to find a solution so they can go,

"If it doesn't happen, then América has been doing things well for a long time. It's true that they haven't yet won the Concacaf Champions Cup, which is a dream of ours and a very clear objective.

"We're leading most of the Mexican tournaments and the Concacaf ranking, which is one of the criteria. If you ask me if I want to go to the Club World Cup, of course it's true, but I'd like to go to the Club World Cup by achieving it on the field. That's what we're working towards.

However, nothing has been finalized yet, and FIFA will also have to wait until the CAS hearing is able to curve out any solutionary measure. 

Read Also | FIFA announce Club World Cup 2025 prize money: USD 1 billion pool, winner to get record USD 125 million

If Carlo Ancelotti decides to accept the Brazilian position, Real Madrid will be working on hiring Jurgen Klopp, who might make a spectacular comeback to management. Among Jurgen Klopp's greatest achievements was leading Liverpool to the Premier League and a UEFA Champions League title. He stepped down as manager after the 2023-24 season. He also led Borussia Dortmund to two Bundesliga titles. 

Read Also: Brazil wants to sign current Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti after recent humiliation against Argentina.

Jurgen Klopp is currently working as a leader of global soccer for the Red Bull group, Klopp stated that he would not manage another English club and might be he will not be interested with management forever. However, he could choose to coach a national team or take a job.

Either of those options might be presented soon to him. According to TRBFootball, Klopp is reportedly one of the options for Brazil's national team head coach after Dorival Junior's dismissal. However, Carlo Ancelotti is also Brazil's top pick, according to different reports, Brazil's national football management has even begun negotiations with him. 

🚨NEW: Real Madrid among three clubs eyeing Jurgen Klopp for a sensational return to management, @GraemeBailey. pic.twitter.com/e5moUf65EX

— LFC Transfer Room (@LFCTransferRoom) March 29, 2025

According to the reports, Klopp is one of the candidates Real Madrid is working on to replace their manager if Carlo Ancelotti departs. Los Blancos are looking for a manager who has worked with a mix of young players and superstars and the former Liverpool manager most definitely possesses that.

Read Also: Every Real Madrid's Players wages in 2025

As Real Madrid is one of the biggest clubs in the world, there would undoubtedly be some appeal if Klopp were to return to club management. Xabi Alonso, a former Real Madrid and Liverpool player is reportedly Los Blancos' preferred candidate.

 There is no assurance that he would accept the position at Real Madrid if it were offered, though, as he declined to leave his position at Bayer Leverkusen when the Liverpool position became available last year. That appears to be the case with Jurgen Klopp as well. But there is still a chance to connect with his former star Trent Alexander Arnold, who is rumored to be very close to joining Real Madrid.

Real Madrid's president, Florentino Perez, is known for his brilliant business strategy during the transfer windows. In recent years, Los Blancos have built one of the most impressive and young squads in football. Players like Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe, Thibaut Courtois, Fede Valverde, and Rodrygo are all playing for the team, there are not many sides in world football who can compete with them. 

As a result, Los Blancos have to pay for their talent and their wages are pretty handsome. Toni Kroos was the club's highest-paid player but decided to retire at the end of the 2023-24 season. After Kroos' retirement, the club brought in Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain, as of now Mbappe is the most earning player for the Los Blancos. 

So, let's take a look at how much money all Real Madrid players are making in 2025, featuring Los Blancos' stars like Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, and Vinicius Junior and rising stars like Arda Guler, Endrick, and Raul Asencio.

Every Real Madrid's Players wages in 2025:

Goalkeepers:

In goal, it should come as a surprise to no one that Thibaut Courtois is comfortably the highest earner in Real Madrid. The Belgian international joined Real Madrid in 2018 from Chelsea and has been a number-one choice since then. However, his injuries were never any doubt about his spot in the starting lineup, and his weekly wage reflects that. Courtois is currently earning at Real Madrid €248,249 per week.

Andrey Lunin is another goalkeeper currently in the first squad and he is currently earning at Real Madrid €46,505 per week. He is the only backup of Thibaut Courtois, so, first-team opportunities are not something he is expected to be presented with too often, but he stepped up brilliantly during Courtois' injury last season.

Defenders:

In terms of the highest-paid defenders at Real Madrid, David Alaba is currently earning at Real Madrid €372,373/week more than any other defenders in the squad. David Alaba's teammates Antonio Rudiger and Eder Militao both are currently earning at Real Madrid €234,139 per week.

Similarly, Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy both are currently earning at Real Madrid €172,450/week. Lucas Vasquez is currently earning at Real Madrid €155,238/week. Fran Garcia, Jesus Vallejo, and Raul Asencio, these three defenders are currently earning at Real Madrid €86,225/week, €28,914/week, and €13,493/week each. 

And, as the current reports, Liverpool's Trent Alexander Arnold has agreed on a deal to join Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer and will be taking home €240,000 per week and this will make him the second-highest earning defender for Los Blancos and also, he will become highest-paid right back in the football world. 

Midfielders:

Jude Bellingham has been playing like the best midfielder in the world since his Real Madrid transfer in 2023 and he is currently earning at Real Madrid like the midfielder too. Jude is making €344,735 per week. Federico Valverde is currently earning at Real Madrid €275,887 per week. Aurelien Tchouameni is making over €200,000 per week as he is currently earning at Real Madrid €206,874 per week. 

The last two midfielders in the squad are tied, with Dani Ceballos and Luka Modric both are currently earning at Real Madrid €172,450 per week. The Croatian has accomplished some legendary things for Real Madrid, including winning the Ballon d'Or in 2018. 

Forwards:

Kylian Mbappe is far and away the highest earner for Los Blancos. Kylian Mbappe is currently earning at Real Madrid over half and million euros every single week. Some way behind him in second place among the forwards is Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian is currently earning at Real Madrid under €350,000 per week. 

Vinicius' fellow Brazilian Rodrygo is currently earning €206,874 per week at Real Madrid. And the remaining forwards, Brahim Diaz, Arda Guler, and Endrick, this three-forwards are currently making at Real Madrid €120,649, €83,566, and €66,845 per week each.

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Laliga clubs regularly own some of the biggest names in the world of football. Many of their top stars have come from abroad, often moving from the Premier League to La Liga. However, some superstars were not so successful in Laliga after the transfers. 
Trent Alexander Arnold is more likely to be the next biggest football transfer from the Premier League to Laliga. 
Discover the 10 biggest football transfers from the Premier League to Laliga, featuring players like Eden Hazard, and Phillipe Coutinho and legends like Luis Suarez and Cristiano Ronaldo.

10 biggest football transfers from Premier League to La Liga:  

10. Conor Gallagher | Chelsea to Atletico Madrid | €35 million:

Conor Gallagher was one of the key players for Chelsea in his final season. He is a Chelsea academy player, despite being an academy graduate of Chelsea, the Blues sold him to the Laliga side Atletico Madrid for €35 million and became one of the players with the biggest football transfers from the Premier League to La Liga.

He has seemed a perfect fit for Diego Simeone’s managed side, though he has rotated with other midfielders. Gallagher scored an important Champions League goal against Real Madrid, during a round of 16 match in which Atletico was heartbreakingly beaten on penalties.

9. Ferran Torres | Manchester City to FC Barcelona | €46 million:

FC Barcelona paid €46 million to Ferran Torres from Manchester City in 2022. But he was never able to prove his worth in FC Barcelona, he was one of the failed yet one the biggest transfers from the Premier League to Laliga.

The winger had never scored more than 10 goals in a single campaign for the La Liga giants. Torres played 145 games at Barcelona and has started almost exactly half (73), which shows the coaches he has played under have been aware that he cannot impact games.

8. Raphinha | Leeds United to FC Barcelona | €50 million:

Raphinha was not a major signing for FC Barcelona, yet among the biggest football transfers from the Premier League to La Liga. In the first season, Raphinha scored 14 goals and contributed in 15 goals. However, in the 2024/25 season, Raphinha found his lost form under Hansi Flick as he scored 27 goals and delivered 20 assists. Now the Brazilian winger is one of the players who is getting Ballon d'Or shouts in 2025.

7. Diego Costa | Chelsea to Atletico Madrid | €57 million:

Costa played for Atletico Madrid on a few different occasions. He had already left once before coming back in 2010 by the time he moved to Chelsea in 2014, and four years later, he was back, with Atletico Madrid paying €57 million for him.

Diego Costa was one of the players also among the biggest football transfers from the Premier League to La Liga. In his final season before leaving for the Premier League, Costa scored 36 goals, and in three seasons at Stamford Bridge, he scored 59 goals and 21 assists. The Spanish forward 81 games in four seasons after his return but scored just 19 goals in that time.

6. Luis Suarez | Liverpool to FC Barcelona | €75 million:

Barcelona had seen enough from Suarez in just two and a half seasons at Liverpool to sign him for an initially reported fee of £75million. That he’d move onto bigger things was unsurprising after notching 31 goals and 13 assists in his final season in the Premier League.

Luis Suarez was one of the key players also among the biggest football transfers from the Premier League to La Liga. The Uruguayan forward scored 195 goals and assisted 113 in 283 games, in his second season at Barca, scoring a remarkable 40 La Liga goals, along with 18 assists. Across all competitions that season, Suarez scored 54 goals and assisted 24.

5. Julian Alvarez | Manchester City to Atletico Madrid | €80 million:

One of the most recent players to the biggest football transfers from the Premier League to La Liga, Julian Alvarez moved to Manchester City for Atletico Madrid in the summer transfer window of the 2024 season. He already has 23 goals and five assists this season, including eight direct goal contributions in the Champions League. So far, the move looks a positive one for Alvarez.

4. Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United to Real Madrid | €80 million:

Cristiano Ronaldo was undoubtedly the best move from the Premier League to La Liga in history. He broke new ground with a transfer worth approximately £80million from Manchester United. The previous world-record transfer was Zinedine Zidane to Real Madrid, which had stood for eight years.

Ronaldo was one of the most devastating forwards in the world for his entire spell at Real Madrid, scoring 450 goals and assisting 131 in 438 games. Ronaldo is the most successful and among the biggest football transfers from the Premier League to La Liga. He won the Ballon d’Or in 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017 while he was a Real Madrid player.

3. Gareth Bale | Tottenham Hotspurs to Real Madrid | €85 million:

At the time of his transfer to Real Madrid for approximately £85million, Bale’s was a world-record move. Gareth Bale was among the biggest football transfers from the Premier League to La Liga.  

Bale would win five Champions Leagues with Real, as well as three La Liga titles, among many other honors. Throughout seven seasons, he scored 106 goals and assisted 67 times.

2. Eden Hazard | Chelsea to Real Madrid | €130 million:

Eden Hazard was one of the failed transfers yet and second-placed in the list of the biggest football transfers from the Premier League to La Liga. That he never played 20 La Liga games in a single season, showed how much Hazard struggled, and he retired at just 32 years of age, having played just 10 games in his final season. The Belgian failed to match that single-season total in 76 games across his entire Real Madrid career.

1. Phillipe Coutinho | Liverpool to FC Barcelona | €142 million:

The biggest football transfer from the Premier League to La Liga, Barcelona spent an astonishing £142million to sign the midfielder from Liverpool. At Liverpool, he had become an iconic figure, having a direct hand in 97 goals in 201 games.

 After 13 direct goal contributions in his first 18 La Liga games, Coutinho slowed with only seven contributions in the 32 games he played in the season. The Brazilian left for Aston Villa, after only 39 goal contributions in 106 games at Barcelona.

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The European Golden Shoe is one of the most prestigious individual awards in football, given annually to the leading goal scorer from the top European leagues. Over the past decade, some of football’s biggest superstars have dominated this recognition, showcasing their incredible talent and consistency in front of goal.

In this article from Sportz Point, discover the last 10 European Golden Shoe winners list, featuring stars like Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane, and legendary players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Luis Suarez.

Last 10 European Golden Shoe winners List:

Harry Kane | 2024-25 season | Bayern Munich:

Harry Kane is among the greatest strikers to crave his name in the European Golden Shoe winners list. Despite the Bayern forward's failure to win any silverware, he won one of the most prestigious individual awards the Golden Shoe, this award shows his goal-scoring prowess. The Englishmen won the award for scoring 36 goals in the 2024-25 season.

 Erling Haaland | 2022-23 | Manchester City:

Earling Haaland scored 36 goals in the Premier League 2022-23 season to win the prestigious individual award and cemented his name among the top players to win the European Golden Shoe winners list. In that season Earling Haaland and company won their maiden UEFA Champions League title and completed a treble for Manchester City under Pep Guardiola.

 Robert Lewandowski | 2021-22 and 2020-21 | Bayern Munich:

Robert Lewandowski won the Golden Shoe Award in the 2021-22 season, as he cemented his name as one of the two players to win the European Golden Shoe multiple times in the list. His goals were more than enough to declare him a Ballon d'Or winner, but he was overshadowed by Karim Benzema in that season. 

In the 2020-21 season, Robert Lewandowski won his first Golden Shoe Award. In that season Robert Lewandowski and his company won a treble for Bayern Munich under Julian Nagelsmann, but he failed to win the Ballon d'Or award as Lionel Messi won the Copa America.

Ciro Immobile | 2019-20 | Lazio:

Immobile scored 36 league goals for Lazio in 2019-20 to win the prestigious individual award and cemented his name among the top players to win the European Golden Shoe winners list. Despite scoring 36 league goals for Lazio but did not get the chance to claim a Ballon d’Or rank as the award was cancelled that year due to Covid.

Lionel Messi | 2018-19, 2017-18, and 2016-17 | FC Barcelona:

Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski are the only players to crave their names multiple times in the European Golden Shoe winners list. In the 2018-19 season, Messi became the last player to win the Golden Shoe and Ballon d'Or in one season. Messi was the only player, who was dragging Ernesto Valverde's managed Barcelona side to the treble and scored 36 goals.

In the 2017-18 season, Messi scored 34 league goals and won his second European Golden Shoe, despite delivering a stinker performance in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In the 2016-17 season, Messi scored more goals than Cristiano Ronaldo, who won the Ballon d'Or that season, but Messi won the European Golden Shoe and became the first player to win the Golden Shoe thrice in the list.

Luis Suarez | 2015-16 | FC Barcelona:

Luis Suarez was a goalscoring machine in 2015-16, as he even managed to outgun the likes of Messi and Ronaldo. The Uruguayan scored 40 goals in La Liga alone, and he became the one and only player to win an individual award in Messi and Ronaldo's era. His goalscoring prowess is the reason, he is on the European Golden Shoe winners list. 

Cristiano Ronaldo | 2014-15 | Real Madrid:

Surprisingly, 2014-15 was the last time that Ronaldo ever won the European Golden Shoe. He enjoyed an excellent individual season, scoring 48 league goals for Real Madrid, but was ultimately overshadowed by Barcelona and Messi who won the treble that year. His excellent goal-scoring skills are the reason he is on the European Golden Shoe winners list. 

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