What a player – Jude Bellingham excited for potential Kylian Mbappe link-up

England midfielder Jude Bellingham has responded to speculation linking Kylian Mbappe with Real Madrid by declaring: “Who wouldn’t want to play with someone as good as him”?

Mbappe is expected to leave Paris St Germain this summer and Madrid could be his next port of call.

“I don’t pick the team and I certainly don’t make the transfers,” Bellingham told Sky Sports News ahead of the Champions League final against his former club Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on Saturday.

“But Kylian Mbappe, what a player, who wouldn’t want to play with someone as good as him?

“I don’t want to kind of put any more pressure on the situation. I know for him it is probably difficult having everyone always talking about him, but yeah, it would be really nice.”

Bellingham has been a stand-out performer during his first season in Madrid, playing pivotal roles in Real’s LaLiga title success and their bid for a 15th elite European club competition triumph.

Such form has seen him identified as a possible Ballon d’Or winner, along with other potential candidates such as club colleagues Vinicius Junior and Toni Kroos.

“I think there are a lot of great players in the world at the minute,” Bellingham added.

“I’ve said it before, I think he (Vinicius Junior) is the best player in the world. I think when he is at his best, he is unplayable. Also, Toni I think has a great chance.

“Honestly, it is not something I think about too much. This is my first Champions League final. I am more focused on winning trophies with the team.

“I think it is a bit of a fairytale kind of ending to a great season, being back home in England, playing against Dortumund, obviously a lot of factors for me that can make it perhaps a little bit emotional.

“But I think for the game I have to try and take that out of it and focus on the absolute plan of the game, as opposed to the other little things.”

Madrid’s former Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, meanwhile, has described being available for the final as “my personal victory”.

Courtois was sidelined for nine months by a knee injury and he did not return to action until early May.

“To have been able to play four games already and to be available for the final is my personal victory,” Courtois told Realmadrid TV.

“I would like to thank my team-mates, the club and the fans for their support after an injury like this.

“When you get injured, you have to come back and prove that you’re the same as before or better and that is what I’ve been thinking about for the last few months.

“We have a tough game ahead of us, but I want to keep building on the greatness of this club. I hope we can win one more European Cup.

“Borussia are a great side, they know how to defend, they are good at set-pieces and on the counter-attack.”