Chelsea are said to be at a major disadvantage in the race to sign Jude Bellingham. The 19-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League since he first made a name for himself at Birmingham City.
Bellingham has been subject to long-term interest from the Blues, football.london understand. The west Londoners watched the England international during his time as an academy player but, after failing to act on their interest, Borussia Dortmund swooped in and welcomed the teenage sensation to the Signal Iduna Park.
The midfielder, who sees his contract with the German giants expire in 2025, featured 32 times in the Bundesliga last season, directly contributing to 11 goals from midfield. His impressive displays led Dortmund to a second-place finish behind only titans Bayern Munich.
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Bellingham has carried over his excellent form into the new campaign, further strengthening the interest in his services. Of whom, according to The Athletic, are said to be Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Real Madrid.
The report adds that Dortmund want to hold onto the youngster, who has been valued at €150million (£131million). It's said that Bellingham does not have a release clause in his deal which can be activated.
The Athletic add that, in order to complete a move, they must win over the midfielder's father, Mark. And, the Mirror say that United could hold an advantage over their competitors with the club already close to Mark.
The report states that United director John Murtough has 'struck up a friendship with Mark' in the last few years and they 'are still close to this day'. It's believed that the Red Devils have been following Bellingham's development since he was 12-years-old.
However, it could be difficult to convince Bellingham to leave Dortmund regardless of a club's relationship with his father. Speaking ahead of Dortmund's Champions League clash with Manchester City earlier this month, he said: "The club have done loads for me and made me feel very welcome since I first came and gave me the opportunities to develop even further. To look past that and into the future would be disrespectful."
Then, when asked if returning to England is an ambition of his, he added: "It's not something I am thinking about, to be honest. It's a massive game against Man City. To even be thinking about something like that would be crazy."
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