City leading the race for Bellingham

MANCHESTER CITY have emerged as the frontrunners to sign Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund and are expected to beat a host of rivals at home and abroad to land the 19-year-old midfielder. Relations between City and Dortmund are excellent following Erling Haaland’s summer switch between the clubs and initial talks have been held about Bellingham’s availability.

A move may not materialise for some time and the terms of any deal would change if Bellingham puts in eye-catching performances at the World Cup. It is highly unlikely, though, that the teenager will see out his Dortmund contract, which expires in 2025. Manager Pep Guardiola was gushing in his praise for Bellingham when his City side met Dortmund in the Champions League this season, calling him ‘the whole package’ and hailing his improvement since his move from Birmingham in 2020.

‘He was 17 when he arrived but it was not just about his quality, how he was leading, his kicking, going to the referee,’ said Guardiola. ‘This guy was something special in terms of his mentality. Now he is 19 and he is already one of the captains.

‘The quality, everybody knows it. The whole package is really good.’ Liverpool and Real Madrid are among the teams that will challenge City for Bellingham’s signature.

He is expected to be named today in the England squad for Qatar, and has won 17 caps since making his debut as a 17-year-old in a friendly against the Republic of Ireland at Wembley in November 2020.