Chelsea eye Borussia Dortmund whizkid Jude Bellingham as an alternative to Declan Rice and could move for him in the coming windows.
Speaking on the Football Terrace show on Youtube, Eurosport’s Dean Jones has revealed that Chelsea are eyeing Borussia Dortmund wonderkid Jude Bellingham as an alternative for Declan Rice in the coming windows.
The Blues have a young, talented squad at their disposal and have made some smart moves in the recent transfer windows. One area that does need reinforcement is the midfield. N’Golo Kante is not getting any younger, while the likes of Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic are tidy albeit limited players.
The Blues need a dynamic midfielder who can make himself a real presence in the middle of the field. One player who was touted to fill that void was former academy reject Declan Rice. The youngster has since established himself as one of the league’s best young players at West Ham United.
While they continue to monitor the 22-year-old’s progress, contingencies appear to be in place should a deal not work out. According to Jones, the club seems to have identified Bellingham as the primary alternative. A highly touted prospect at Birmingham City, the youngster moved to Dortmund last summer and hit the ground running.
An all-action midfielder, he received plenty of game time at Signal Iduna Park and even made the England squad for the Euros. Bellingham remains one of Europe’s top young players, a confident player capable of contributing at either end of the pitch. Just 18, the sky is the limit for him. Either Rice or Bellingham will improve Chelsea’s midfield and will give them a long-term option who could perform for the better part of the decade.
As things stand, Rice is the better player and is well-rounded in more attributes than Bellingham. However, the latter is a more dynamic option and has a better eye for offensive developments. It could all come down to exactly what role Chelsea wants their midfield recruit to play.
Chelsea will, however, face competition for Bellingham from Manchester United. The Red Devils looked to have sealed the deal for the youngster only for him to join Dortmund instead. His impressive performances in Germany have done little to discourage United, who continue to keep tabs on him.
Bellingham is an excellent prospect who does not appear to lack anything. Not only is he homegrown, but would also add much to a Chelsea midfield. For now, the player’s attention is focused on Dortmund, but a lot could change in a year.
Any move for a midfielder will have to wait until at least January. Having gone big on Romelu Lukaku, the Blues are now eyeing a central defender this summer. Sevilla’s Jules Kounde is, for now, the club’s priority. Whether it be Rice or Bellingham, the transfer will have to wait.