The transfer of Bayern's left-back Alphonso Davies is becoming increasingly interesting.
Previously, according to reports from German newspaper "Münchner Zeitung" and Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo," Alphonso Davies was not interested in signing with Real Madrid for free but instead preferred to sign a five-year contract with Bayern, staying with the team because the salary offered by Real Madrid was significantly lower than the Canadian's expectations.
However, considering that Münchner Zeitung leans towards Bayern and Mundo Deportivo leans towards Barcelona, this rumor seemed suspicious from the start, as their respective positions determine that one wants Bayern to do well while the other wants Real Madrid to falter.
Sure enough, just a few days later, Alphonso's situation changed again, this time unrelated to any football media. Instead, a fan discovered the Bayern full-back at a concert in Dubai. Even more bizarrely, accompanying him to the concert was not a teammate from Bayern or the Canadian national team, but Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham.
A Canadian and an Englishman, who had never crossed paths before, were seen together, engaging in personal activities such as attending a concert and touring Dubai, which is quite intriguing.
In fact, Bellingham, valued at 200 million euros, is not only outstanding on the field but also a social networking expert off the field. Throughout his football career, he dared to reject invitations from major Premier League clubs at the age of 16 and went to Germany alone, joining Borussia Dortmund, known for using young players, to start his career.
In the following three years, Bellingham's excellent performance at Dortmund did not lack interest from top clubs, but he remained firm until Real Madrid made an offer, at which point he happily joined the world's number one club. It is clear that besides his abilities, his talents in player development and commercial value far exceed those of ordinary players.
Previously, it was discovered that he had become close with another rumored target of Real Madrid, English international Trent Alexander-Arnold, even inviting him to visit Spain. Now, he has been seen in Dubai with Alphonso Davies, indicating that this Real Madrid midfield core has already shown leadership qualities and is starting to contribute to building the future lineup. It can be said that his 200 million valuation is indeed justified, and Real Madrid has found a gem.
Alphonso's expected salary is between 18-20 million euros before tax, while Real Madrid is currently willing to offer him a salary of 14 million euros before tax, almost equal to Bayern's offer. If Alphonso ultimately prefers to renew his contract with Bayern, then Real Madrid will have to increase its offer, which would mean spending at least an additional 20 million euros over five years.
If Bellingham can persuade Alphonso Davies to join through private networking, it would undoubtedly save Real Madrid significant costs in acquiring this tough player, and the saved salary could give them more leverage in pursuing Arnold's transfer.
As for Bayern, if Alphonso fails to renew his contract, they will have to look to Serie A, where AC Milan has broken relations with their left-back Theo Hernandez. With many French internationals in Bayern, they could gain a significant advantage in Theo's transfer, and Milan would not be too demanding in terms of price, likely accepting an offer below 50 million euros.