Jude Bellingham was under the spotlight on Tuesday night as his Borussia Dortmund side visited Chelsea in the second leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie.
Having gone into the World Cup break with successive Bundesliga defeats, Dortmund had been the in-form team in European football going into Tuesday night’s clash at Stamford Bridge. Edin Terzic’s side had won all ten of their matches since Qatar, including the first leg of the tie in Germany last month.
Despite being aged just 19, Bellingham has already established himself as the star of the high-flying German side with the clash in west London his 122nd appearance for the club whom he joined in 2020. He is likely to be the most in-demand player in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Liverpool have been credited with an interest in Bellingham on a number of occasions in the past, with Jurgen Klopp thought to be a big fan. Meanwhile, rivals Manchester City and Manchester United are also admirers, but it is Madrid who have emerged as the frontrunner for his signature.
The European champions held a meeting with Bellingham’s father, Mark, who has played an influential role in his son’s early career. As outlined by Foot Mercato, Juni Calafat, director of international football for Real Madrid, conducted the meeting at the Chelsea Harbour hotel in London ahead of the nearby match at Stamford Bridge.
Bellingham's starring role in the recent World Cup for England had also led to Liverpool stepping up their interest in signing the midfielder, whose transfer valuation continues to increase.
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Klopp has admitted things need to change at the Reds and is eyeing a summer revamp of the squad, with a particular focus on their ageing midfield. The club missed out on signing Aurelien Tchouameni to Real Madrid last summer.
The Reds boss previously said of Bellingham, in a cheeky way to praise the midfielder: “He’s not on the market, so that’s the first problem with that player. Well, the only problem with that player!”
Speaking in December, when Liverpool's need for reinforcements in midfield had become clear, Klopp purred over the teenage star: "Bellingham is just exceptional. He plays so maturely, like a 28-year-old.
"Everybody already knew his skills, but I have no idea what that means for the money side of it. He’s very good, exceptional. He had an incredible World Cup."
When Bellingham was quizzed on his future prior to Dortmund's Champions League clash with Manchester City earlier this season, the teenager explained: "The club have done loads for me and made me feel very welcome since I first came and gave me the opportunities to develop even further. To look past that and into the future would be disrespectful. It's not something I am thinking about, to be honest."
Following on from that, Bellingham was slightly more open on his future ambitions as speculation over his next move continues, as he insisted: "I want to win way more, and I want to continue to push the boundaries of my own potential and talent."
Bellingham was unable to help Dortmund advance through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League as they were edged out by Chelsea. He impressed in the middle of the pitch and despite spurning an excellent opportunity in the second half, showed he was at home at this stage.
There is still plenty to play for at Dortmund this season, including the possibility of their first Bundesliga title in over a decade. There are unlikely to be any big updates on the future of the star midfielder while their season is ongoing.
However, it feels increasingly certain that the German club will decide to cash in on their most prized asset at the end of the campaign – particularly with so many leading European clubs showing an active interest in his transfer, potentially sparking a bidding war.
Dortmund will be aware that a loss of form, injury or change in dynamics in the transfer market could reduce their negotiating position in future years, while the player himself – having starred for the club for three seasons – now appears to have his heart set on a transfer.
