Manchester United's pursuit of Jude Bellingham has been handed a boost after the appointment of Matt Hargreaves as the spearhead for the club's football negotiations.
Bellingham, 19, has been linked with a move to Old Trafford this summer as Erik ten Hag attempts to bolster his already-talented squad. Casemiro and Christian Eriksen have been superb so far this season but Bellingham would add an extra-dimension and something a little different.
The Borussia Dortmund midfielder is expected to attract plenty of interest from sides across Europe at the end of the season, including Real Madrid, Manchester City and Liverpool. However, the Red Devils might be a more likely move, especially after Sports Marketing Director Hargreaves joined the club.
Hargreaves made the move from Adidas, where he looked after a number of major clients from the Bundesliga, with Bellingham one of his star assets. The England international has been with the brand since 2020 and promotes all the apparel and sporting items by Adidas through social media as well.
United could use Hargreaves as a secret weapon to convince Bellingham to come to the Red Devils, instead of some of the other top European clubs. Bellingham is valued at around £130million by Dortmund, although his price is skyrocketing and may cost even more this summer.
Bellingham burst onto the scene during his time at boyhood club Birmingham, before he moved to Dortmund in the summer of 2020 in a deal worth around £25m. The teenager impressed in his first season at the Signal Iduna Park and continued to build his CV with a number of impressive performances in Germany.
He also shone in the Champions League and earned his first England call-up in November 2020, despite his-then lack of experience at club level. But Gareth Southgate was excited about the proposition and Bellingham cemented himself as a key component of the Three Lions squad ahead of Euro 2020.
Having clocked 90 appearances in his first two years at Dortmund, as well as several caps for England, Bellingham was considered as one of the best young talents in world football. Bellingham further showed his talent at the Qatar World Cup as he impressed despite England being knocked out in the quarter-final.
Now, with over 200 senior matches to his name for club and country, Bellingham could be on the move at the end of the season and United are interested in his services. The Red Devils are expected to qualify for the Champions League next term and have put themselves in a very strong position to do so.
They currently sit fourth, seven points above fifth-place Liverpool and United also have a game in hand on Jurgen Klopp's side in the race for a top-four spot. Champions League football could be a huge lure for Bellingham as he debates his future ahead of the summer transfer window.
