Chelsea face battle to sign £130 million Borussia Dortmund midfielder Bellingham – Paper Round

Chelsea to pursue Bellingham

The paper states: “There is also said to be a recognition of Chelsea not being frontrunners to sign Bellingham, with Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester City more likely occupiers of the crown.

“The pursuit of Bellingham comes directly after a season which has seen a staggering outlay of £600million, including a British transfer record of £107m spent on Enzo Fernandez.

“They will not be finished once they have Bellingham either.

“The report adds Chelsea want to sign another midfielder, with Arsenal-linked duo Rice and Moises Caicedo on the radar.”

Fati not keen on United transfer

Manchester United have been linked with a move for Ansu Fati for the last couple of years, but the Mirror states that the forward would rather stay at Barcelona despite being picked as a sub regularly by Xavi Hernandez.

Instead of leaving, he wants to fight for his place at the Spanish league leaders.

“The youngster has previously been linked with a move away from the Nou Camp but is determined to be a major player under Xavi. Fati had been the only Barcelona player to appear in every game this term, before he was left on the bench for the entirety of their win at Villarreal.

“Xavi has often called upon Fati from the bench, but rather than considering his options the Spanish international wants to fight for a starting role.”

Real to keep their powder dry

There is a buyback option that can be executed for Rayo Vallecano defender Fran Garcia, but apart from him the only changes could be to promote youth team players.

“Real Madrid could bring Fran Garcia back from Rayo Vallecano and promote a few academy players but they should not be expected to sign any superstars,” the paper claims.

“Jude Bellingham has attracted Real Madrid’s interest and the club have been working on his potential signing, taking all [the] right steps.

“However, it has become evident that they can’t compete with inflated offers from Premier League clubs such as Liverpool and Manchester City.”

Dortmund prepare for Bellingham exit

Amid all the interest from clubs across Europe for Jude Bellingam, it appears that his current club, Borussia Dortmund, believe that he will be on his way out despite their preferences.

“The 19-year-old England star has become one of the most highly rated midfielders in Europe after impressing at last year’s World Cup, and has picked up 10 goals across all competitions for Dortmund as they mount a title challenge.

“His contract at Signal Iduna Park runs until 2025, but the £130 million-rated star seems unlikely to stay until then after interest from the likes of Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester City.”