Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano says “get ready” for a massive scrap next summer to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham.
Writing in his “Daily Briefing” column for CaughtOffside, Romano names Real Madrid, Liverpool, United and Manchester City as the frontrunners for the prodigy’s signature.
“Next summer it’s going to be a crazy, crazy race,” Romano says.
“My sources tell me – get ready. The Bellingham race will be between many top clubs, it will be similar to the Erling Haaland race.
“Liverpool need a new midfielder, so they will try, for sure. Real Madrid are also looking for midfielders, they’ve been following Bellingham for a long time. In England, Man City and Man United have also been following him for a long time.”
United will hope to be in a stronger position to go for the England international than they were for Haaland. The club’s floundering fortunes and lack of Champions League football meant it was almost impossible to compete with the likes of City for the Norwegian’s signature.
If United progress under Erik ten Hag and close the gap with their rivals, then there could be a chance of luring Bellingham, whom they tried to sign when Dortmund landed him two summers ago.
Romano claims that “It was never close between Man United and Bellingham in the past. They were interested alongside many other clubs including Premier League sides and Juventus, but he only wanted Borussia Dortmund as the perfect step for his future.” However, fans will remember the red carpet treatment given to the then 17 year old by United, including a tour of Carrington’s training facilities and a personal audience with Sir Alex Ferguson as United desperately tried to lure him to Old Trafford.
The former Birmingham City man is the youngest ever player to be capped by England, at 16 years and 38 days.
At the age of 19, he has already got 15 caps for England and looks set to play a big role for the Three Lions at the forthcoming World Cup.
Unlike Haaland, Bellingham has no buyout clause in his contract so any transfer fee would be expected to be well in excess of €100 million and potentially more if he shines on the big stage in Qatar.
With a contract at Signal Iduna Park that runs until 2025, the German club has all the aces as the world’s elite jostle and parry to land a unique talent.
United Matchday Magazine – the ultimate pre-match experience
Get ready for aggression and entertainment. United are on a Moldovan mission. And the new issue of the Matchday Mag is out now!
- Online football content like you’ve never seen before
- A unique match centre and hand-picked news, features and opinion
- No ads, no clickbait, no fake news – just 100% pure United
- Instantly delivered to your device with easy and secure online ordering
- Click Preview to see more or buy now for just £1.25/$1.50
- Limited time offer: SAVE 33% on a season pass – use discount code SEASON33 at checkout.
