- Jude Bellingham’s relationship could potentially be worth millions to Real Madrid
- The English star has been in a relationship with Dutch model Laura Celia Valk for several months
- Listen to It all starts! ‘There’s not much certainty he’ll play’ – why did Gareth Southgate pick Luke Shaw?
A football finance expert has claimed that Jude Bellingham’s relationship could be of great value to Real Madrid.
After joining from Borussia Dortmund last summer, Bellingham has proven to be an instant hit in the Spanish capital.
In his first season in La Liga, Bellingham scored 19 goals and provided six assists as Carlo Ancelotti’s side topped the table and secured a record-extending 36th league title.
Bellingham also got his first taste of European success when Madrid defeated his former club Borussia Dortmund at Wembley to be crowned Champions League winners.
But it’s not just his impact on the field that brings huge earning potential.
Jude Bellingham’s relationship could be of huge commercial value to Real Madrid, according to an expert
The 20-year-old has been in a relationship with Dutch model Laura Celia Valk for several months
Dr. Rob Wilson claimed that the couple’s relationship is similar to that of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce
According to an expert, Bellingham’s relationship with Dutch model Laura Celia Valk brings with it opportunities for ‘co-activation’, similar to that of American power couple NFL tight end Travis Kelce and pop superstar Taylor Swift.
“Bellingham is quite similar to Travis Kelce with Taylor Swift in that respect, there is an alignment and lighting.” Football finance expert Dr Rob Wilson told us Sax.
‘From a brand alignment point of view it would be interesting to see if they will ever do co-activation, where they are both involved in the promotion, but there will be a lot of work off the field as well.
‘There will also be a natural increase in the level of exposure to brands like PrettyLittleThing due to the indirect association.
‘The really smart commercial people will look at that and think: PrettyLittleThing is a very well thought out brand, like Real Madrid, there might be a chance of some co-activation. It could be worth millions to Bellingham and Real Madrid.”
The former Birmingham midfielder’s impact on the pitch has been undeniable and according to one expert he could soon eclipse future team-mate Kylian Mbappe as the sport’s most valuable star.
‘Bellingham has the potential to surpass Ronaldo and Messi in terms of marketability.’ Wilson continued.
“If we have this conversation in ten years’ time and Bellingham continues his trajectory at Real Madrid, I think he will significantly surpass Mbappe.
Wilson added that Bellingham could “significantly surpass” Kylian Mbappe as the most valuable footballer
“They are at the beginning of that journey; Mbappe would be more established than Bellingham, as he has been around a bit longer, but the potential for both players would be significantly greater than the transfer fee you would need to sign either of them.
‘Mbappe is worth more than Bellingham now, but the England midfielder has a lot more marketability about him and he is also in the early part of his career.’