Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr has revealed he messaged Jude Bellingham ‘for months’ to persuade him to join Real Madrid.

Vinicius told L’Equipe: “We’re so happy he signed – I had been texting him for months! I said: ‘This is the best team in the world’.

“I knew other teams wanted him. [Real Madrid chief scout] Juni Calafat has become a friend and he knows that if I can give a little help, I will.

“I did the same with Cama [Eduardo Camavinga]. I was sending him messages, he came and won the Champions League. Hopefully it will be the same for Jude.”

But when asked if he had similar plans to lure Mbappe to the Bernabeu amid the club’s long-term pursuit of the Frenchman, the winger was adamant he would not: “No, it’s different! Kylian has his situation.

“With Jude he knew he could move in this summer. And it’s perfect that it happened like this. But here everyone wants to play with Kylian. I hope it happens one day, hopefully. He is one of the best players, perhaps the best of all today. He’s on a level of his own!”