Manchester United have reignited their interest in Borussia Dortmund dynamo Jobe Bellingham after a major change at the Signal Iduna Park, according to a new report.
Midfield Rebuild
The Red Devils’ urgent priority this summer is a complete revamp of their midfield unit. Casemiro will leave a major hole in the squad once his contract expires at the end of the season, while Manuel Ugarte has failed his trial as deputy for the Brazilian.
INEOS are intent on signing three new options in the middle of the pitch if a buyer can be found for Ugarte, with a focus on Premier League-proven operators such as Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba. An inside source claims United are planning to sign the latter before the World Cup, after agreeing personal terms with the Brighton enforcer last summer.
But the hierarchy are also interested in adding a younger, more affordable option to this cohort. Olympiacos starlet Christos Mouzakitis and Lille wonderkid Ayyoub Bouaddi both feature high on the club’s radar.
However, United are also understood to be considering Bellingham, younger brother of Real Madrid superstar Jude, as an option for this role.
United sent scouts to Germany
United expressed interest in signing the 20-year-old midfielder when he was still plying his trade in England, first with boyhood club Birmingham City and then Sunderland. But Dortmund convinced the 6’3 powerhouse to follow the family footsteps by choosing the Bundesliga as the next stage for his fledgling career after striking a £33 million deal with the Black Cats.
Initially, it had appeared to be a mistake, however, with the England under-21 international struggling to adapt to the new environment and failing to gain Dortmund boss Nico Kovac’s trust. But the old adage that form is temporary, class is permanent has rung true for the highly-rated youngster, as he has enjoyed a superb second half of the season.
Convincing Kovac of his qualities, both on and off the pitch, Bellingham has started 18 of Die Schwarzgelben’s last 20 matches, with TEAMtalk revealing he is now considered a “central figure” in the Croatian coach’s plans.
This outstanding form has “not gone unnoticed across Europe”, the report states, as a “number of elite clubs are keeping close tabs on Bellingham’s progress.”
This includes United, who have dispatched scouts to Germany on numerous occasions to watch a number of Dortmund’s stars. But a well-placed source has “admitted that Bellingham’s development has become an increasingly frequent discussion point among United’s recruitment staff in recent months.”
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City are understood to be keeping a close eye on the situation, while Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are also mentioned as suitors. TEAMtalk concludes that Bellingham is “now firmly back under consideration as a potential option” at Old Trafford.
Final Thoughts
Bellingham’s skillset is an exciting one, possessing the ability to play a number of different roles in midfield, and his athleticism and experience lend itself to a jump to the Premier League. One former teammate at Sunderland, Dan Neil, has described the Birmingham native as a “freak of nature” due to his power and physicality at such a young age.
But Dortmund are tough negotiators who often command top dollar for their prized assets. The price United would likely need to pay to extract him from the North Rhine-Westphali will exceed the budget – believed to be between £20-40m – assigned to their ‘younger prospect’ in midfield.
Feature image Dean Mouhtaropoulos via Getty Images
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