Like many of Europe’s elite football clubs, Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing Borussia Dortmund and England sensation Jude Bellingham, and the teenage midfielder could reignite a phenomenal partnership with Erling Haaland if he moves to the Etihad Stadium.
It was reported earlier this month by Football Insider that the Premier League champions could look to cash in on £100m club-record signing Jack Grealish in order to fund a move for Bellingham, who would likely cost any interested suitors around €150m (£129m).
The former Birmingham City gem may well have increased his asking price further with some superb displys at the World Cup with England, averaging a 7.58 rating from WhoScored for his performances after impressing in all five of his appearances in Qatar.
This ranked him as the second-best player in Gareth Southgate’s squad as they fell against France in the quarter-final stage, which emphasises how important he already is to England despite his tender age.
He has also been in fantastic form for Dortmund so far this term, with nine goals and three assists to his name in all competitions for the Bundesliga giants, including four goals in the Champions League group stage.
His performances in Germany’s top flight have seen him average an excellent 7.45 rating from WhoScored, which comfortably ranks him as the best player in Edin Terzic’s squad, while the same rating would see him ranked behind only Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne at Man City.
City are hopeful that Bellingham’s friendship with Haaland could be a deciding factor in his next club, as the two played brilliantly together at Signal Iduna Park last season, with only one player in Dortmund’s squad setting up more goals for the Norweigian striker than the teenage English sensation.
The prospect of having another “generational talent” in Pep Guardiola’s squad – as dubbed by Raphael Honigstein – to play alongside the likes of Haaland and Phil Foden would surely be too good for City to turn down, regardless of the astronomical fee that it will no doubt take to bring Bellingham to the Etihad.
Therefore, Txiki Begiristain should do all that he can to ensure that Bellingham joins Guardiola’s squad in 2023.