Jude Bellingham intends to hold talks with the management of Borussia Dortmund about his near future.
Hans-Joachim Watzke, CEO of Dortmund, has scheduled a meeting this week. In January last year, Watzke organized similar talks with Erling Holand to evaluate the player’s specific plans.
A well-known selling club, Dortmund is traditionally ready to negotiate transfers peacefully. The club just wants to know Bellingham’s intentions.
The 19-year-old is already closely linked with moves to Manchester United, Real Madrid, Liverpool and other major European clubs.
Having scored nine goals in 22 matches for the club, the Englishman continued his excellent form at the World Cup, demonstrating that his amazing confidence and capabilities have no limits.
Dortmund will travel to Marbella on January 6 as part of a week-long winter training camp before the resumption of the Bundesliga. Thus, a meeting between Bellingham and the club’s management should take place in the next few days.
Speaking to BILD-TV in November, Watzke frankly told the details of this long-awaited meeting:
“We will have a general discussion about what he really wants. With him, with his parents, with whom we have a very close relationship. And, of course, with his adviser.
“And then he should just tell us if he wants to stay or wants to leave. In both cases, we will have a very pleasant and reasonable conversation with each other.
“But we should not pretend that this issue is not being discussed. If really big clubs are involved in the case, then we cannot afford a financial confrontation.”
Marco Ruiz from Diario-AS reported that the frank discussion will be attended by: Watzke, Sebastian Kehl (sports director), Mark Bellingham (Jude’s father and agent), Mark Bennett (a family friend and adviser to the Bellinghams) and, of course, Jude.
As reported by The Peoples Person in November, Dortmund will demand a fee of up to 150 million euros. This summer is the best time to sell, as Bellingham’s current contract expires in 2025. If the midfielder decides to stay, he is expected to extend his contract. Dortmund has already prepared its proposal.
Madrid is best suited to sign Bellingham. The young man has enjoyed his incredibly fruitful period outside of England and, according to Ruiz, is hesitant to return to play in the Premier League.
Fiorentino Perez, the president of Madrid, has a very good relationship with Watzke, which would naturally help facilitate any proposed transfer. The couple are friends and have been running a business in recent years, as a result of which Akhraf Hakimi and Rainer were leased from Madrid to Dortmund. However, United and Liverpool are joining Madrid and making Bellingham a priority acquisition for the coming summer.
Meanwhile, the Glazer family is going to sell United before the spring of this year. Expecting the new owner to bring in much more money, United can present themselves as Real Madrid’s real rival for Bellingham’s signature.
Casemiro and Christian Eriksen will finish the season at the age of 31. As a consequence, Eric ten Haag will undoubtedly be looking to add a world-class young player like Bellingham to the midfield.
