Manchester United have been involved in a tight race against Borrusia Dortmund and Bayern Munich to sign Birmingham City youngster, Jude Bellingham. In early March, it seemed that the deal was already done and Bellingham was set to join Dortmund, with various news outlets reporting that Bellingham was set to be signed for a fee of around £30 million.
Manchester United Emerge as Frontrunners to Sign Jude Bellingham
Dortmund or Devils?
It is unsurprising with the links to Dortmund as the Bundesliga side are a highly attractive club to young stars, largely due to their amazing reputation of utilizing and developing youth.
However, Manchester United refused to give up on the deal, as they had been scouting Bellingham as early as 2017. In order to tempt the Birmingham star into a move, Ed Woodward gave the 16-year-old a tour of the AON training complex. Now, as new information has surfaced, it seems that Manchester United may be the closest to closing the deal.
Reports from the Mirror suggest Bellingham’s family may decide that Jude cannot transfer to a team outside of England, therefore eliminating both Bundesliga sides from the race. The reason for this is because Jude has a younger brother, Jobe, who is also a rising football star. The Bellingham family might decide that relocating to Germany would hurt his brother’s career. If this is true, Manchester United are by far the closest to sealing the deal.
Why is he Such a Valued Asset?
Jude Bellingham is Birmingham City’s youngest debutant at 16 years and 38 days. Only a few weeks later, he also became their youngest ever goalscorer. Since, he has become a crucial and consistent part of their squad, playing in multiple midfield positions.
Bellingham would a priceless asset for Manchester United for two reasons. The first is that he is a youngster with limitless potential. United have started to look farther into the future by giving more playing time to youngsters including Mason Greenwood and Daniel James. These players will continue to develop, becoming more and more integrated into the first-team, until when they themselves have become established Manchester United players.
Secondly, Bellingham will offer limitless depth and adaptability to United’s midfield. He can play anywhere across the middle and plays with a maturity beyond his years.
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