Vinicius Jr reveals secret role in Jude Bellingham and Real Madrid transfer decision after Liverpool snub
Vinicius Junior explained that he was "texting for months" in order to convince Jude Bellingham to sign for Real Madrid ahead of Liverpool.
Everybody knows how the story turned out but there was a time when it seemed likely Bellingham would be the crown jewel in Jurgen Klopp's new-look Liverpool midfield.
There were few options for the Birmingham City academy product once Anfield chiefs decided a move was not financially viable due to the other repair work that needed to be done on the engine room, but it still felt like a blow to lose out again to the Spanish club that defeated the Reds twice in Champions League finals of late, won the race for Aurelien Tchouameni last year and could do the same again with Kylian Mbappe in 2024.
Months of speculation and rumours, club legends baying for the transaction to be made, even Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson striking up a close bond with the youngster on international duty, only to watch the top target go to Real Madrid.
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Though it turns out Liverpool's current vice-captain and former captain were not the only players heavily involved in the backstairs intrigue of the transfer. Efforts were being made to sway the 20-year-old towards the Santiago Bernabeu, in particular by Vinicius Jr.
The Brazilian struck the telling blow in Paris in 2022, and did the same again despite admittedly having never spoken with his future team-mate in person.
"I didn’t know Bellingham but I knew that other teams wanted him so I texted him," Vinicius told L'Equipe, as reported by Fabrizio Romano. "I did
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