Chelsea have been dealt a major blow in their transfer pursuit of Jude Bellingham with Premier League rivals Liverpool having made contact with Borussia Dortmund.
The Blues remain in the race to sign the talented 19-year-old but face serious competition from the Reds, Manchester City and Real Madrid. Dortmund slapped a £110million asking price on Bellingham over the summer transfer window and have refused to enter negotiations over his sale until next year.
The England international looks set to use a similar strategy to what Erling Haaland used when deciding his next club. A number of clubs are preparing for a huge bidding war with Bellingham's contract set to expire in 2025.
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Todd Boehly is said to have already put plans in place to give the Blues a jump on their rivals in the race to sign the super-talent, but Chelsea will need to pass in a number of key areas to sign Bellingham. According to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool consider the 19-year-old as their main target next summer, having already made contact with Borussia Dortmund.
Boehly will need to be able to convince the talented midfielder that Chelsea are a club on the rise, along with reassuring the 19-year-old that the club will be able to outperform the likes of Madrid, City and Liverpool across all competitions in the coming seasons. Pep Guardiola recently signed a new deal at City that will see him stay at the Etihad Stadium until 2025, which may persuade Bellingham to link up with his former Dortmund teammate Haaland.
The Blues are in desperate need of midfield reinforcements with uncertainty hanging over the futures of both N'Golo Kante and Jorginho. Bellingham is considered a generational talent by many and will be a huge signing for any club that is able to convince him to join them, leading their midfield for years to come.
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