Chelsea are determined to sign the England international, but Liverpool and Real Madrid have made more progress.
(Image credit: Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)
Chelsea have reportedly begun efforts to convince Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham to join them next summer, but Real Madrid and Liverpool remain the frontrunners.
The 19-year-old looks set to be at the centre of a major transfer tussle at the end of the season, as some of Europe’s top clubs form a queue for his services.
Bellingham still has another three years left to run on his Dortmund deal, but the German club may well cash in if their £130 million valuation is met.
Todd Boehly has spent heavily since taking over at Chelsea. (Image credit: Getty)
According to The Telegraph, Chelsea have started making moves behind the scenes to put themselves in a strong position in the race.
They were told by Bellingham’s representatives that Liverpool and Real are ahead of them, as both clubs have already spent months working towards a deal.
However, Chelsea have shown big ambition in the transfer market since Todd Boehly’s consortium took over, and the American is eager to be involved in the battle for Bellingham.
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Bellingham has impressed at Borussia Dortmund. (Image credit: Alexandre Simoes/Borussia Dortmund via Getty Images)
The Stamford Bridge club were the biggest spenders in Europe over the summer, splashing out almost £300 million on new recruits.
Those included Raheem Sterling, Marc Cucurella, Kalidou Koulibaly, Wesley Fofana and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
But the midfield may soon need reinforced, as central midfielders N’Golo Kante and Jorginho are both in the final year of their contracts.
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Richarlison has revealed that he chose Tottenham over Chelsea in the summer, thanks to an intervention by former Blues boss Antonio Conte.
The club are also keen to bolster their midfield in the winter window, with Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz having emerged as a target.
Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.
