Former Birmingham CEO Dong Ren has revealed Manchester United were one of four clubs to be snubbed by Jude Bellingham.
The teenage sensation was a wanted man in the summer of 2020, but it was Borussia Dortmund who eventually won the race for his signature. Bellingham had enjoyed a breakout campaign in England's second tier at St Andrews which attracted attention from some of Europe's heavyweights.
United attempted to wow the youngster and his family, introducing them to Sir Alex Ferguson as they looked to sweeten the deal. Chelsea's then transfer chief Marina Granovskaia met with Bellingham, but he wasn't sold. Leicester and Wolves also made late moves.
Bayern Munich, Dortmund's main domestic rivals, attempted to hijack the deal at the eleventh hour, but they too were snubbed by the now England star. Ren told Mundo Deportivo : "United made the biggest offer we received compared to Bayern, Dortmund, Leicester or other clubs like Wolves. Ed Woodward [then United CEO] was the most insistent.
"We sat down and talked about how we could convince Bellingham. But Jude didn't make any decisions based on money. They offered much more salary compared to the rest. Maybe double. He was going to have guaranteed millions in the bank and he did not take them. That's not normal for a player at all."
Had Bellingham opted for Bayern over Dortmund he would already be a Bundesliga title winner. The teenager wasn't concerned by the allure of winning though, instead choosing a path that would aid his development having seen compatriot Jadon Sancho thrive.
Ren added: “He sat down with Solskjaer, until Woodward brought Ferguson that day, another day to Cantona, to try to convince him. He chose Dortmund over Bayern despite not being sure to win titles and money. He put all that behind his development. How many players would do that? Because nothing is guaranteed at Dortmund. It might not have turned out well.”
Birmingham ended up pocketing £25m from Bellingham's exit as they let the player make the right decision for him, rather than advising him on a personal level. "At the end of the day we were the team that had the player. I could only act as CEO of Birmingham," claimed Ren.
"I could tell him Jude, Manchester United offers you three times what we have, you have to go. And it was a difficult position, because I wanted to respect his decision." Ren confirmed that Bellingham and his family informed him of their decision to opt for Dortmund shortly before the end of the season.
The midfielder's stock has continued to rise in Germany and he's become a leading light with the Three Lions. Bellingham is heavily linked with a return to English soil this summer as Liverpool and Manchester City circle.
