Jude Bellingham lifts lid on joining Borussia Dortmund over Manchester United
According to the Daily Star, Jude Bellingham has opened up on rejecting Manchester United to join Borussia Dortmund.
The 17-year-old was subject to a charm offensive by United who were keen to bring him to Old Trafford. Sir Alex Ferguson and Eric Cantona were among the big guns employed to convince the youngster that his future was at Old Trafford.
Unfortunately, it was not to be. He eventually moved to Dortmund in a deal worth £26m rising to more than £30m. It makes him the world’s most expensive 17-year-old.
Bellingham reveals that the chance to play in the Champions League for Dortmund was too good of a chance to turn down. (h/t Daily Star)
United are yet to qualify for the competition but could do so as early as this Sunday. The 17-year-old has more chances of gaining playtime at the Signal Iduna Park rather than Old Trafford.
The youngster is keen to replicate the success of Jadon Sancho. He is glad that speculation regarding his future has now been put to rest. The saga took a toll on the player who would rather have liked to concentrate on his on-field exploits. (h/t Daily Star)
“I chose Dortmund because it is the perfect step for my development. I am just glad that saga is over. It was a lot of annoyance to me and there was a lot of noise at the time when all I wanted to do was play for Birmingham.”
He became the Blues’ youngest ever debutant, having made his first-team appearance aged 16 years and 38 days.
Bellingham featured 44 times across all competitions for Birmingham in 2019/20. He impressed with a return of four goals and three assists.
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Bellingham made his final appearance for Birmingham on Wednesday night. Although the Blues lost on the night, they successfully staved off relegation.
In a puzzling move, Birmingham have decided to retire Bellingham’s No.22 shirt despite him making only 44 appearances for them in total.