Manchester United might be in a slight chance of securing the services of Birmingham City’s Jude Bellingham, who was set for a Borussia Dortmund switch.
As reported by Mirror, Borussia Dortmund have put their transfer plans on hold as the club looks to combat the ongoing Coronavirus crisis. And this could serve as a slight boost for Manchester United, in their pursuit of Birmingham City youngster Jude Bellingham.
The 16-year-old was expected to join Dortmund in the summer, with the Black and Yellows also keen on his services. However, the club’s sporting director, Michael Zorc has admitted that they are now unsure about the future due to the ongoing pandemic.
“This summer will be unpleasant. After all, we don’t know when to start playing again. There is a lot of uncertainty in all clubs. We first have to manage this crisis situation.”, Zorc told kicker. This is understandable as Germany is one of the worst-hit countries in the world, recording over 30,000 cases at the time of writing.
Manchester United could certainly take advantage of this situation and step up their efforts to sign Bellingham. The Red Devils had reportedly shown the youngster their training facility earlier this year, in an attempt to lure him to Old Trafford. But, a move did not materialise, with the player seemingly keen on a transfer to Dortmund.
From Bellingham’s perspective, a move to Bundesliga makes a lot of sense. Dortmund, in particular, are regarded as one of the most appealing destinations for young talents, with players like Christian Pulisic, Giovanni Reyna, Jadon Sancho and Ousmane Dembele coming out of the ranks in recent years.
Moreover, the DFL is keen to lower the minimum age to 16 in the Bundesliga next season. That means Bellingham could have a significant chance of making an impact in the Dortmund first-team.
As for Manchester United, their relentless pursuit of the Birmingham City sensation is understandable given the identity they have embraced, following the arrival of Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer. Indeed, the youngster perfectly fits into the Norwegian’s vision of revolving his team around young, British youngster, having notably signed the likes of Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka last summer.
At the age of 16, Bellingham is already regarded as one of the most promising British talents. And given his performances in the Championship, where he has already been involved in seven goals in 32 matches this season, he is certainly ready to take the next step in his career.
However, his future remains a mystery. Even though Borussia Dortmund have backed out, for the time being, the Bundesliga outfit still remain favourite in the overall pursuit, which means Manchester United must act swiftly if they are to have any hopes of signing the English whizkid.
