Manchester United have revived their interest in £100million-rated England and Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham.
United tried to sign the 19-year-old midfielder from Birmingham in the summer of 2020 and pulled out all the stops, including Sir Alex Ferguson giving the youngster a personal tour of the training ground.
But United were left reeling when Bellingham snubbed them in favour of joining German side Dortmund in a deal worth £25million.
Bellingham has thrived at Dortmund, establishing himself as one of the most exciting talents in world football and is a certainty for Gareth Southgate's England squad for the World Cup in Qatar, which starts later this month.
United have not given up on signing Bellingham, with the teenager having emerged as boss Erik ten Hag's top transfer target for next summer.
But United will face competition for Bellingham from fellow Premier League rivals and neighbours Manchester City, while Liverpool and Real Madrid also want to sign him.
United know they must qualify for the Champions League this season, via a top-four finish in the Premier League or winning the Europa League, if they are to have any chance of landing Bellingham.
Bellingham has impressed in the Champions League this season, scoring against City in a 2-1 defeat for Dortmund at the Etihad Stadium, and has already hit a career-best eight goals this season in all competitions.
Ten Hag and United spent the summer pursuing his former Ajax midfielder Frenkie de Jong, but were unable to agree a deal with Barcelona, and now their attention has switched to Bellingham.
United coach Ten Hag has been promised the necessary funds to rebuild a United team capable of challenging for the biggest trophies again.
Ten Hag and United Football Director John Murtough have held several meetings to identify summer transfer targets and have put Bellingham at the top of their list.
Bellingham, who does not turn 20 until next June, knows he will have the pick of Europe's top clubs next summer, like his former Dortmund team-mate Erling Haaland, who is now plundering goals for City following his summer switch.
Pep Guardiola is a huge admirer of Bellingham and with Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva both likely to leave City next summer, it is understood Belligham has emerged as their top transfer target as well.
Guardiola eulogised about Bellingham last week, ahead of City's goalless draw at Dortmund and said: “Borussia Dortmund is the perfect place for young talent to come.
“Maybe if Jude Bellingham was in England he would go to City, United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal or Tottenham, and maybe he would not get the minutes.
“The best thing for a young player to be better is to play minutes.
“He was 17 when he arrived but it was not just about his quality, how he was leading, his kicking, going to the referee. This guy was something special in terms of his mentality.
“Now he's 19 and he's already one of the captains. The quality, everybody knows it. The whole package is really good.”
