Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has already told the club how they will benefit from signing Jude Bellingham ahead of the January transfer window.
The 19-year-old has had a meteoric rise in world football since his move to Borussia Dortmund two years ago. Bellingham shone for England during their World Cup campaign in Qatar, with the teenager demonstrating once again why he is one of the most sought-after talents in Europe right now.
City have been constantly linked with a move for the Borussia Dortmund ace - not only as one of the few clubs that could financially afford the midfielder - but also one of the handful of teams that can provide a platform for Bellingham to take the next step in his career. The Blues can offer the Three Lions star a chance to compete for the biggest trophies in football on a regular basis, while also lucratively rewarding him for his services.
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City may already have a team full of superstars, with many pointing out this issue as a potential negative for the former Birmingham man over fears that he may lose out on regular playing time. Yet that argument has dwindled with every game that Bellingham has played as he continues to show that he has no issues rubbing shoulders with the very best in the game.
In fact, having played in the same side as Erling Haaland 63 times already, the Black and Yellows starlet will know just how impressive the reigning Premier League champion's squad truly is. City fans will be hoping that Bellingham follows in the footsteps of the Norwegian by swapping Dortmund for Manchester - particularly after they saw first-hand how good the dynamic midfielder can be.
Guardiola watched on as Bellingham scored against them during a Champions League group stage match back in October. Although Haaland went on to score an acrobatic winner with five minutes remaining, the Catalan manager was seriously impressed with the performance of the England international.
"Borussia Dortmund is the perfect place for young talent to come. Maybe if he went to a top Premier League club, he wouldn't have got the minutes," said the City boss about Bellingham. "The best thing for young players is to play minutes.
"It's not just about the quality, it's about how he was leading and kicking and going to the referee, this guy is something special and has the mentality. He already is one of the captains [at Dortmund], the whole package is really good.
"He's already in the national team for England at 19-years-old, we know the quality he has."
The transfer fee that eventually sees Dortmund part ways with Bellingham will most likely be eye-watering, yet it is hard to see any club regretting the outlay in the years to come.
Guardiola knows just how special a talent the Bundesliga star is, the question now is whether or not he can convince his side to find a way to tempt him to the Etihad Stadium before one of their rivals does.
For a team that knows first-hand how fine the margins can be between success and failure in the Champions League - their manager has just shown them how to tip the balance back in their favour.
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