Jude Bellingham justified why he is one of most coveted players ahead of January transfer window after impressing at the World Cup for England. The 19-year-old midfielder has been heavily linked with an exit from Borussia Dortmund for some time now, with the Blues among several of Europe's biggest clubs vying for his signature.
Bellingham, who sees his contract at the Signal Iduna Park expire in 2025, has been subject to long-term interest from Chelsea, football.london understands. The west Londoners watched the Three Lions international during his time as an academy player at Birmingham City but, after failing to act on their interest, the German giants swooped in and signed the teenage sensation instead.
Graham Potter is said to be in the market for a new midfielder this summer amid the uncertain futures of N'Golo Kante and Jorginho. With Bellingham leading by example in Gareth Southgate's side, his dominating displays at the highest level have further proven why Chelsea must secure his signature.
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According to LiveScore, the England international recorded more tackles, duels won, possession regains and successful take-ons than any other player in the Three Lions squad at the tournament. Bellingham was at the heart of the action in Qatar, teeing up what is set to be a record-breaking bidding war.
The Athletic state that Manchester City and Liverpool are two of the many clubs competing with Chelsea for the teenager's signature. Dortmund are said to have given Bellingham a €150million (£131million) price tag.
And, the German giants are not set to stand in the youngster's way should he seek an exit. As quoted by ESPN, Watzke claimed that the German side cannot rival the financial packages being offered to Bellingham.
He said: "We will hold talks now, as soon as [the World Cup in] Qatar is over, and then we'll have a fundamental talk about what he would like. He just needs to tell us if he'd like to stay or if he'd like to go. In both cases we'll talk about it very pleasantly and reasonably together.
"In general we can imagine that he'd stay with us, but we can't behave as if this topic wasn't on the table. If he says 'I'd like to do something else,' then the really big [clubs] in Europe will be there and we can't afford to fight financially."
While Bellingham's performances may have helped consolidate Chelsea's interest, the Blues still face strong competition from the world's richest clubs.
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