Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl has insisted that there has been no contact from teams interested in a Jude Bellingham transfer, while also reiterating the club’s desire to keep the England international beyond this season.
Set to reach 200 senior appearances for club and country before his 20th birthday, Bellingham continued his rise to stardom. At the World Cup in Qatar, he shone for England, scored 10 goals for the first time in the season, and occasionally starts to captain Dortmund.
Real Madrid, Liverpool and Manchester City are the three main clubs in the mix for Bellingham, who held talks with Dortmund over his future ahead of a winter training camp in Spain last month.
Liverpool are convinced he is the preferred player, although Manchester City and Real Madrid are also happy with the case they have put to the Bellingham camp. Dortmund, meanwhile, are pushing for him to stay until at least 2024.
Bellingham had been considering his options for some time before the World Cup, but had always made it clear to Dortmund that no decision would be made until 2023. The Bundesliga have been patient and are happy that he is taking his time.
“Jude feels very, very good at Borussia Dortmund. But there are no new negotiations, let alone requests for him,” Kehl explained to Sportbild this week.
“We need Jude to achieve our goals this season and we are pleased that he is so focused on football and has no other issues on his mind at the moment.
“Jude still has a two-year contract and is a very important part of this team. That’s why I naturally want him to play for BVB longer.”
Dortmund are preparing a new contract offer for Bellingham that could see him become their highest-paid player of all time. Such a deal would also include a release clause, which would then likely make it easier for him to leave in 2024.
Dortmund will soon present their offer to Bellingham and his family, with further talks expected in March. Although his current contract does not expire until 2025, the club are prepared to sell this year if the teenager decides not to sign the deal they have put on the table.
Bellingham are expected to consider all options but a possible interest from Manchester United, who were heavily interested in the player when he left Birmingham for Dortmund, Chelsea, Newcastle and Paris Saint-Germain in 2020, has yet to materialize into negotiations.
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