Jude Bellingham is one of the hottest prospects in world football right now. The 19-year-old has already elevated himself to world-class levels on the biggest stage and he will be one of the most talked about players for a while to come.
The Borussia Dortmund midfielder has now asserted himself as one of Gareth Southgate's first choice midfielders, starting six of the last seven games for his country and is set to be a key player for England at the winter World Cup.
Having joined the German side for a world-record fee for 17-year-old in 2020 - winning his first cap less than six months later - Bellingham is expected to be at the middle of one of the biggest bidding wars in football history this summer.
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The teenager is currently valued at over £100million but no price has been set with his performance in Qatar only likely to boost the tag above his head. For a once in a generation type midfielder, this isn't likely to put many teams off going for him.
Chelsea themselves are one of the interested parties and sounded out an initial enquiry this summer but fell short of making an official bid under Todd Boehly's ambitious transfer plans. The Blues went on to spend over £250million without Bellingham's addition, and could well match that figure again over the next two windows with high-profile midfield and attacking targets being looked at for Graham Potter's Chelsea side.
A midfield overhaul is coming for Potter, with N'Golo Kante's injury worries on-top of his expiring contract next summer going together with Jorginho's own deal running down and the hope of securing new, younger players for the side. That means central midfielders are going to be high on the list for the Blues and Chelsea are preparing for a wild ride in the coming months - and Bellingham should expect the same according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
"I can tell you, we’re going to have a crazy few months of rumours ahead involving Jude Bellingham," Romano explained to CaughtOffside
"But, it’s still important to stress that Borussia Dortmund are not negotiating with any clubs as of today – they will set their final asking price after the World Cup, there is no release clause in his contract. This is an important detail, because Dortmund are aware that Bellingham’s performances at the World Cup will surely affect his market value.
"Some rumours will be true, some will be untrue, that is part of the game. What I know for sure is that all the top European clubs will be there for Bellingham – some have started contacts, others are still waiting to join the race.
"Man City and United will also be there, but watch out for Real Madrid – they sold Casemiro to Manchester United and they have two fantastic, but ageing midfield players in Toni Kroos and Luka Modric. This is why Bellingham is on Real’s list, but it’s important to remember the player doesn’t have an agreement with any club yet. Everything is open, and it will take time.
"Chelsea are thinking of a new midfielder as well – they wanted Frenkie de Jong this summer, and they have N’Golo Kante's difficult contract situation. Bellingham is attracting interest from Chelsea, so let’s see what happens with this long list of clubs."
Real Madrid spent over £80million on Aurelien Tchouameni this summer in their own mini-restructure in midfield and are looking to put in a contingency plan for Luka Modric and Toni Kroos. Liverpool have come up short with injuries to Thiago Alcantara and Jordan Henderson leaving them exposed whilst Manchester City have the money to rival most clubs and already have open communication with Dortmund after buying Erling Haaland this summer.
The task at hand for Chelsea is evident and Bellingham's move way well come down to recommendations which could make England's Qatar camp extremely important for his future. Someone who may have access to this outside of Chelsea is Liverpool's Jordan Henderson.
"I like Jude, I think he's an amazing player," said Henderson while speaking at a McDonald's Fun Football event in Liverpool. "He's a fantastic professional and his mentality is really key for his development. I almost don't want to big him up too much because he's still a young lad! There will be a lot of pressure on him at a young age, but of course he's a top, top player, and I'm sure he'll have a big part to play in Qatar."
With Ben Chilwell, Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling and Reece James all joining Henderson in England's squad, Boehly may well set them on a task to speak to their international teammate and put in a good word because it is likely that every other competitor will be doing their bit to push Bellingham to-and-froe throughout this multi-sided battle.
As for the Manchester United interest, former United and Watford keeper Ben Foster said: "For me personally, I would love to see him go to Manchester United."
Speaking on his YouTube channel, he added: "I think he would thrive more at Manchester United, he’d have more responsibility and I think he would enjoy it there more. I think he would know he’s the main man.
"I worry that if he went to a club like Man City he might just sort of [end up] a little like Jack Grealish. He would just fade a little bit at Manchester City. So I would love him at Manchester United, I think he would smash it."
If Chelsea's competition wasn't already evident then their need to maybe play dirty has become even more pressing, if you can't beat them, join them, and signing Bellingham would be the ultimate coup for Boehly and the new team at Chelsea.
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