Manchester City are confident that England star Jude Bellingham will choose to work for Pep Guardiola at the Etihad over Real Madrid and Liverpool, according to a new report.
Bellingham sealed his place as the most sought-after player in football, after putting on a series of magnificent performances for England at the just-concluded FIFA World Cup, before the Three Lions succumbed to defeat to France in the quarterfinals.
Before now, Liverpool were believed to be favourites to sign Bellingham, but in recent days, Real Madrid are thought to have moved ahead of the Reds as the team most likely to sign the former Birmingham City midfielder, and they are willing to pay up to £100 million for him.
Numerous elite clubs in Europe have shown interest in Bellingham since his career took off with Borussia Dortmund. And his price tag is expected to have gone up, following a fantastic World Cup in Qatar.
According to The Sun, sources at the Etihad are hopeful that the prospect of working under Pep might tip the scales in City’s favour despite suggestions that Bellingham is on his way to the Bernabeu.
Guardiola recently signed a contract extension to remain at the Etihad Stadium until 2025, and that – coupled with the presence of former teammate Erling Haaland, at City, may help persuade Bellingham to move to Manchester.
Meanwhile, Manchester United are also trying to hijack the deal.
After Bellingham and his parents visited the Red Devils’ Carrington training facility, where he met Sir Alex Ferguson and other club officials, United believed they had won the race to sign Bellingham.
It is believed that they will try to lure the midfielder to Old Trafford again next summer, by offering him a key role in Erik ten Hag’s side.
Paris Saint-Germain president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, also acknowledged his interest in Bellingham earlier this month, when he said: ‘Everybody wants him, I’m not going to hide it.’
It is however believed that the French champions are no longer considered serious contenders for Bellingham’s signature.
Bellingham has made 112 appearances and even captained the team since joining Dortmund back in 2020. In that time, he has scored 21 goals and provided assists for another 19 goals.
