Why Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham rejected massive Premier League move despite his father 'giving them hope'

Jose Manuel Otero, a member of the Real Madrid board of directors, has claimed that Jude Bellingham rejected Manchester City's advancements in the summer. He said the Englishman's father held talks with the Premier League champions and even gave them hope of landing the midfielder.

However, the former Borussia Dortmund star was not interested in joining the Cityzens and opted for Real Madrid. Otero was live on Twitch when he shed light on the secret meeting and said:

"Bellingham cost a lot of money, but was he expensive? I don't think so. It's the same as a Rolls Royce. It costs a lot of money, but it is not expensive. What you get for what you pay is very important. They told us this the other day at lunch with [City Football Group-owned] Girona.

"People from Manchester City came to eat and told us that they had been talking to Bellingham. They said that the father had entertained them a little by giving them hope, but Jude said no, he wanted to play for Real Madrid. That is happening with many players. When the prospect of signing for Real Madrid opens up to them, they forget everything else. Madrid is the best way to achieve glory."

Los Blancos paid a reported €103 million to sign Bellingham from BVB. He started his career at the Santiago Bernabeu in fine fashion, with 10 goals in as many matches across matches.

Manchester City manager was full of praise for Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, spoke about Jude Bellingham last season, labeling him a complete package. He added that the move to Borussia Dortmund was ideal for the youngster as he was not going to get minutes at any of the top clubs in the Premier League.

He was quoted by The Guardian as saying:

"Borussia Dortmund is the perfect place for young talent to come. Maybe if Jude Bellingham was in England he would go to City, United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal or Tottenham, maybe he would not get the minutes. The best thing for a young player to be better is to play minutes.

"He was 17 when he arrived but it was not just about his quality, how he was leading, his kicking, going to the referee. This guy was something special in terms of his mentality. Now he is 19 and he is already one of the captains. The quality, everybody knows it. The whole package is really good."

Along with Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea were also reportedly interested in Jude Bellingham. However, all three opted out after Borussia Dortmund refused to budge on their €100 million+ asking price.