Chelsea suffer blow as PL rivals take lead in pursuit of 18-year-old Bundesliga starlet

Chelsea are behind Manchester United in race to sign Jude Bellingham

According to The Sun (h/t Metro), Chelsea are currently behind Manchester United in the race to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham.

Bellingham signed for Dortmund last summer, and the Englishman has not looked back since then. Last season alone, the Englishman managed 46 appearances across all competitions, including 29 games in the Bundesliga, as he helped the club to a 3rd place finish in the league. 

The 18-year-old also starred for the Germans in the Champions League as he featured in every single game and led them to the quarter-final of the competition, where they lost to eventual finalists Manchester City.

The midfielder also earned a place in the Three Lions squad for the Euros this summer. The former Birmingham man has not lost any speed coming into the new season as he has featured in 7 games for the club and has already contributed to 6 goals in the process.

Given that Jorginho and Kante only have two years left on their current deals at the club, making another addition in the midfield department would be a clever move. At 18, the youngster could become a mainstay at the Stamford Bridge outfit and serve the club for several years. 

However, getting a deal over the line for the midfielder will be hard. Currently, Manchester United are frontrunners in the race to sign the Englishman while Chelsea alongside Liverpool are trailing behind, according to The Sun (h/t Metro). 

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Regardless, it remains to be seen where Bellingham’s preferred destination lies as Thomas Tuchel would be looking to convince the youngster to join him at Stamford Bridge.