Manchester City are ready to rival Liverpool in the race to sign Borussia Dortmund whizkid Jude Bellingham next summer.
According to an exclusive report from Daily Star, Manchester City have become the latest club to add Jude Bellingham to their shortlist. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder has raised a lot of eyebrows with his performances for club and country and is regarded as one of the most gifted talents in world football right now.
Earlier this week, Liverpool have been strongly linked with a move for Bellingham. They are even reportedly weighing up a record bid for the Englishman next summer, but it appears they are now braced for stiff competition from none other than Manchester City, arguably their biggest sporting adversary at the moment.
It appears the reigning English champions are preparing to look ahead to the future by finding a long-term replacement for the ageing Fernandinho. They already have Rodri, but Pep Guardiola is keen on a proper midfielder partner who can offer more dynamism in the middle of the park while simultaneously offering defensive support.
Bellingham fits the bill perfectly, having already established himself as a key component in the Borussia Dortmund midfield. At the age of just 18, the former Birmingham City starlet has racked up 52 competitive appearances for the club, scoring five goals.
His box to box qualities in midfield has indeed turned a lot of heads across Europe, with the midfielder most recently starring in the 4-3 win over Bayer Leverkusen this weekend.
Liverpool and Manchester City are among the interested parties, with the former still searching for their ideal replacement for Gini Wijnaldum, who had left Anfield in favour of a switch to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer. It has left a massive void in the midfield unit, which Jurgen Klopp intends to fill.
The Reds have been recently linked with a swoop for Franck Kessie, but AC Milan are holding out for a bizarre swap deal for their prized asset. While the Ivorian is certainly an option next summer, Bellingham would certainly be the priority due to his age and the quality he has shown for both club and country.
However, it is fair to point out that Bellingham is happy with his life at Borussia Dortmund. The Bundesliga giants themselves have no intention of offloading him anytime soon, with the player even having a contract until 2025.
As such, it would require a sizable fee to lure him away from Dortmund next summer, perhaps one exceeding the £120 million mark that would make Bellingham the most expensive player in English football.
