Bellingham becomes the most expensive seventeen year old in history after joining the Bundesliga runners-up
By James Cooper, Sky Sports News northwest reporter
Last updated: 20/07/20 12:48 pm
After Jude Bellingham’s move from Birmingham to Borussia Dortmund was confirmed on Monday, James Cooper examines why he was added to the list of players who “ran away” from Manchester United …
In the end, a decision was reached between Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund.
In their attempts to sign the teenager, United threw the red carpet for Bellingham and his family, who were impressed with their tour of the Aon Training Complex in Carrington, which saw the audience with Sir Alex Ferguson.
Manchester United missed Borussia Dortmund’s new signing Jude Bellingham
United’s coaches and recruiting staff have followed the development of the midfielder for nearly two years and, in doing so, have forged a close relationship with his family and their coaching counterparts in Birmingham City, who have created a reputation for the production of awesome young players.
Since Bellingham had played 37 times for the Birmingham First Team before his 17th birthday on June 29th, he was already 6 feet tall and was shining wearing shirt no. 22 in the heart of the midfield in one of the most competitive leagues in Europe, it is easy to understand why his name was on the wish list of some of the greatest football teams in the world.
Birmingham and Bellingham could have made more money from the player who stayed in England and moved to Old Trafford but, while he was part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team next season, the competition for seats would have been fierce.
The fact that Paul Pogba seems destined to remain in Manchester would further limit the opportunities, with the likes of Scott McTominay, Nemanja Matic and Fred all seeming to be fighting for the only place left in midfield next to the Frenchman and Bruno Fernandes.
If Solskjaer had decided to add another midfielder this summer – and Jack Grealish has been widely monitored – suddenly the question that Jude Bellingham and his family would have asked themselves – “where would we likely have more time to play?” – has a simpler answer.
13:20 Sky Sports evaluates Jude Bellingham and explains why he is destined to become a star of the future in English football
Manchester United’s priority next season is to return to the hunt for a title in the Premier League and, while the youngsters are part of their DNA, as demonstrated this season, the first team is entirely dedicated to the players who can achieve success now .
Borussia Dortmund has “precedents” when it comes to developing English talent. Jadon Sancho also moved into the club as a seventeen year old and has made 74 starts in the past three years, scoring 34 goals on his journey to become one of Europe’s hottest talents.
Bellingham and his advisors would consider Sancho as the blueprint for what could happen and I was told that their Bundesliga plump decision on the Premier League is due to the time the teenager is playing and they believe he will get more at Dortmund.
While nobody at Manchester United has explicitly said so, don’t rule out Jude Bellingham who ends up in Germany as part of a trial that sees Sancho move to Old Trafford.
This does not mean that any agreement is concluded, because the impression I am given is that the negotiations will have to be creative because of the coronavirus situation and there is still the small matter of United that is actually gaining a place in the Champions League. . This could potentially drag deep in August if they were to win the Europa League to do so.
Some Manchester United fans may wonder why they failed to sign Bellingham, but those same fans would have been appeased by the arrival of someone of the caliber of Sancho, who is still only 20 years old.
Those fans are also watching the emergence of their superstar in Mason Greenwood, an eighteen-year-old whose rapid progress has pleasantly surprised Carrington’s – a case of rich potential that is taking place in the spotlight of the first team.
Add the new Manchester doctor, Marcus Rashford, as well as McTominay and Brandon Williams to the image and the situation looks bright, with Solskjaer already looking at the Academy’s new recruits for opportunities.
Jude Bellingham may have chosen not to move to Manchester United at this stage of his young career, but United’s pursuit of him and the admiration they have shown him can make them stand ahead.
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