Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham is going from strength to strength at the German club and that has attracted the interest of several elite European clubs.
The 19-year-old is a longstanding target for Manchester United, with the former Birmingham starlet believed to have been close to joining the Reds in 2020 before signing for Dortmund.
United were in the hunt for at least one midfielder over the summer and that led to heavy investments in that area but the Old Trafford hierarchy are still thought to be interested in Bellingham.
Despite missing out on the signing of Frenkie de Jong, it was reported after the summer transfer window had shut that the Dutchman remains on United’s radar alongside Bellingham.
Now, it looks like United could have been dealt a heavy blow in their pursuit of Bellingham after it emerged that Liverpool, United’s bitter rivals, are pulling out all stops to secure his signature.
That’s according to German outlet SportBild, who say that Liverpool are putting aside a sizeable amount of money in order to sign Bellingham.
It remains to be seen whether Liverpool’s interest remains depending on how their season plays out – Jurgen Klopp’s side are currently seven points behind United.
SN’s verdict…
Despite signing both Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, it’s becoming increasingly clear that United are still determined to strengthen the midfield.
Casemiro and Eriksen are both 30 and although the pair have exceeded all expectations this season, they are not long-term solutions to an issue that has been left unresolved for years at United.
Bellingham will be the principal target for most clubs next summer and it would take quite the effort for United to sign him and as things stand, interest from their Premier League rivals seems like the biggest threat.
