Chelsea, not Liverpool or Real Madrid, are reportedly leading the race to sign Jude Bellingham in the summer.
Confused? Us too. Widespread reports over the last couple of months have suggested Liverpool and Real Madrid are the frontrunners to sign Bellingham, while Manchester City lurk in the background.
Chelsea have been named among the teams interested, but were very much thought to be behind a clear leading pack.
Not according to Spanish journalist Pacojo Delgado though, who told Cadena Ser show Carrusel Mundial that Chelsea are above all others in the race for Bellingham.
Delgado confirmed that Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid hold an interest in Bellingham, who has told Dortmund he would make a decision on his future after the World Cup.
But Pacojo (via Sport Witness) claims Madrid are unwilling to stretch to the €120m the Bundesliga side want for the 19-year-old and certainly have no hope of competing with Chelsea, who are set to go above and beyond the asking price to land the England international.
Todd Boehly is reportedly willing to spend €150m on Bellingham, who as far as we know, has little interest in joining Chelsea.
The report will come as a surprise to Jamie Carragher, who named Florentina Perez, Sheikh Mansour and JW Henry as the three owners ‘feeling anxious’ over Bellingham’s value soaring in Qatar.
‘Bellingham has the potential to do what none of them did because he has already become a World Cup star and it is inconceivable he will not be winning domestic titles and competing for the Champions League for the next 10 years,’ Carragher wrote for The Telegraph.
‘There will be only three people in the world watching Bellingham in Qatar and feeling anxious – Florentino Pérez, Sheikh Mansour and JW Henry.
‘The owners of Real Madrid, Manchester City and Liverpool know they will be involved in an auction to get him.
‘We are watching the career of a freakishly good talent unfolding. It is frightening how good Bellingham is.
‘If you were to build the prototype modern midfielder, he would be it.
‘He has the physique and athleticism of a 27-year-old Gerrard, and has all the attributes you want in a footballer – tackling, passing, assisting and scoring.’
READ MORE: Which club will sign Jude Bellingham? The whys and why nots for Liverpool, Man Utd, Real and others…
