Borussia Dortmund confident they can win Jude Bellingham transfer race

Manchester United could miss out on signing Jude Bellingham from Birmingham City this summer.

The 16-year-old midfielder has been expected to leave Birmingham this summer, and he is yet to sign professional terms with his current club due to his age. He will turn 17 towards the end of June, and there are a number of big European clubs who want to sign him.

The playmaker has been linked with Manchester United for much of the last few months, with some reports suggesting a fee of £30 million would be required as compensation for Birmingham losing one of their most promising talents ever developed, with Bellingham regarded as a player who will go on to be one of the best in the world.

Signing him would be a logical step for United, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been lowering the age of the United squad in a deliberate strategy with Ed Woodward. The pair want to bring in young and ideally British players in a move away from expensive transfers from abroad.

United have not been as heavily affected by coronavirus as other teams because of their vast wealth, and there have been few indications that they will not be active in the transfer market when it reopens.

However, the Daily Mail believes that Borussia Dortmund remain keen on signing the teenager. With football planned for restart in Germany in the coming months, albeit behind closed doors, and with the reduction in pay to playing staff, the club remain in decent shape to splash out on players in the transfer window.

Dortmund can also offer a clear path to the first team as they have emerged as an attractive destination for younger players. Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland have established themselves in the first team with the Bundesliga side in the past couple of seasons.