On Monday Manchester City were once again reminded why they should prioritise Jude Bellingham as their next major transfer target.
Bellingham put in another virtuoso performance in England's World Cup opener, scoring the opening goal in a 6-2 rout of Iran. City have twice come against the 19-year-old this season when facing Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, but they won't be his only potential suitor come the end of the season.
According to Ben Jacobs of CBS, Dortmund are preparing to lose Bellingham next summer with the likes of City, Real Madrid and Liverpool among the favourites to sign him.
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Jacobs has suggested that Erling Haaland could play a crucial role in City's attempt to sign the youngster. Haaland played with Bellingham at Dortmund, and has reportedly already told the Englishman that he should move to the Etihad Stadium.
Jacobs also suggested that Bellingham could make his decision by awarding each potential suitor 'marks' for different categories, as Haaland did.
He tweeted: "A standout performance from Jude Bellingham. Dortmund planning for a summer 2023 departure. Liverpool and Real Madrid are the frontrunners but it’s an open race. Erling Haaland has already told him to join Manchester City." And added: "Bellingham, a bit like Haaland, is also expected to ‘score’ his next move to help add a more dispassionate metric alongside his gut feeling. This may make it tough for teams without #UCL football next season."
Meanwhile, City's hopes of signing Brazilian wonderkid Endrick have been dealt a blow.
As have many other major clubs, City have been monitoring the 16-year-old striker for a while now. The Palmeiras youngster is considered the next big thing in world football, having made his senior debut last month.
However, it appears that Paris Saint-Germain are best placed to bring him to Europe according to the Evening Standard. The Brazilian side have reportedly already rejected one offer in the region of £40m, but negotiations are still ongoing.
The fact that PSG already have a sizeable Brazilian contingent - including Neymar - could also play a part in deciding Endrick's destination. In seven senior appearances for his club the striker has scored three goals and provided one assist.
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