Jude Bellingham, the 19-year-old Borussia Dortmund superstar, is reportedly being pursued by Manchester United and Manchester City, who may have to pay up to £130 million to secure his services. Liverpool has withdrawn from the race due to the high asking price, but Real Madrid remains interested.
Manchester United and Manchester City are expected to be the primary contenders for Bellingham’s signature, with Liverpool opting out due to the cost. However, Real Madrid is still in the running.
Erik ten Hag, the Old Trafford chief, is expected to target significant summer signings in midfield and attack in preparation for a Champions League campaign. City is also interested in Bellingham, and United may move if their takeover is completed before the summer transfer window.
Dortmund has not given up hope of retaining Bellingham for another season, but if he decides to leave, they believe that the £138 million deal they made with Barcelona for Ousmane Dembele in 2017 is a benchmark for how much they should receive for the young Englishman. Dembele was only 20 years old when he moved to the Nou Camp for an enormous fee, a few months older than Bellingham is now.
If a deal worth around £130 million is reached, it would break the current British record of £106 million spent by Chelsea on Enzo Fernandez in January. Liverpool has backed away from the deal due to the high cost, especially since they are unlikely to qualify for the Champions League next season.
City’s transfer funds will be focused on strengthening their midfield this summer, with Ilkay Gundogan expected to join Barcelona on a free transfer. There is also uncertainty surrounding Bernardo Silva’s future, while Kevin De Bruyne will be 32 years old this summer. City has shown in the past that they are not afraid to break transfer records, having spent what was then a British high of £100 million on Jack Grealish in the summer of 2021.
City’s chances of signing Bellingham have been boosted by Liverpool’s withdrawal, but they are wary of Real Madrid. However, City has a good working relationship with Dortmund, having signed Erling Haaland and Manuel Akanji from them last summer.