Transfer News: Chelsea are pursuing Jude Bellingham. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
According to the Athletic (Subscription Required) (h/t Metro), Borussia Dortmund have set an asking price of £131m for English midfielder Jude Bellingham, who is a Chelsea target along with Premier League rivals Manchester United and Liverpool.
The 19-year-old, who was playing for Birmingham City before moving to Germany, turned down an offer from United in 2020 to sign for Dortmund in a deal worth £25m.
The midfielder has been one of the stars of the Bundesliga in the last year or so. He has 15 England caps now, having made his debut only 18 months ago.
Dortmund naturally want to keep hold of Bellingham, but the Englishman only has two years left in his contract. Next summer would be the last chance for the German club to extract a high fee for the transfer of the player. They are set to put an asking price of £131m for whoever making the bid.
Among the English clubs in pursuit, Liverpool appear to be the front-runner to make a potential move with Jurgen Klopp keen to strengthen his midfield. Chelsea are also in the race as they have their own upcoming midfield shortage.
The Blues have Jorginho (30) and N’Golo Kante (31) in the final year of their contract, and there hasn’t been much progress regarding an extension of either midfielder. The latter was offered a two-year deal with an option for the third, but it was rejected as he wanted more duration.
On the other hand, Jorginho is a subject of interest from Barcelona to sign him for free next summer. In fact, both the players can talk to clubs from January onwards, provided they don’t sign any extension till then.
Looking at their ages and the fact that Kante’s availability has been a hindrance to his game in the last 18 months, it would make sense for Chelsea to look for a succession plan in midfield. Signing Bellingham would fill one of the slots in central midfield for years to come. He is a superstar who can upgrade the quality of the Blues’ midfield.
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