Manchester United are reportedly in the driver’s seat in the race to sign Jude Bellingham ahead of Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund.
If the exclusive report by The Sun is to be believed, Manchester United are leading the race to sign Jude Bellingham in the summer transfer window. Valued at £50 million by Birmingham City, the teenage prodigy is also being tailed by Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund, among others.
Jude Bellingham is a player who has seen his stocks skyrocket since breaking into the first-team setup at Birmingham City this season. In fact, such has been the youngster’s impact in a short frame of time that he is now seen as one of the most highly rated prospects in all of Europe.
Since making his senior league debut, the 16-year-old has missed just one Championship game, making 35 appearances in all competitions, which is quite unheard of for a player of his age. Bellingham’s progress has not gone unnoticed either, with Manchester United among a whole host of clubs who have shown interest in him.
The first instance of Bellingham reportedly emerging on Manchester United’s radar was back in the January transfer window. Since then, the Red Devils have been regularly linked with a move for the prodigious teenage midfielder, and for good reason.
Paul Pogba’s future at Old Trafford has been shrouded under a cloud of uncertainty for quite some time now and Manchester United will be remiss not to make preparations for the Frenchman’s exit. To that end, the Premier League heavyweights have been linked with a number of midfielders, and signing Bellingham would be a prudent move.
Considering the promise the 16-year-old has shown, he could be integrated into the first-team squad straight away, providing competition to Scott McTominay, Fred and Nemanja Matic for a place in the midfield double pivot. And, Manchester United seem to have laid on the charm offensive in order to get the player to make the switch to Old Trafford this summer.
While Chelsea have been trying to leapfrog Manchester United in the race to sign Bellingham, it is the Red Devils who have impressed the 16-year-old after showing him around the club’s Carrington training complex. The player also held talks with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Sir Alex Ferguson and Matt Judge, all of which seem to have pushed Manchester United ahead of the competition.
Apart from Chelsea, Bellingham has also been linked with Borussia Dortmund, who were even rated as favourites to land him not too long ago. Dortmund have been the breeding ground for promising talents for years now, explaining why Bellingham would potentially be interested in joining them.
On the other hand, Chelsea are going through a youth revolution under Frank Lampard and a move to Stamford Bridge could, hence, be appealing. However, it now looks like Manchester United are out in front in the chase for the young star.
Valued at £50 million by Birmingham City, Manchester United are hoping to secure his services on an initial £35 million deal, which could rise to £50 million with add-ons. What now remains to be seen is if the Red Devils can agree a deal with Birmingham for him and if Chelsea or Dortmund can do anything to move ahead of United.
