Manchester United have reportedly dropped out of the race for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, with three clubs set to battle for his signature.
The 19-year-old is currently one of the most in-demand players in world football, having starred for BVB during the 2022-23 campaign, scoring nine times and registering four assists in 22 appearances.
Bellingham has also been a starter for England at the 2022 World Cup, and he found the back of the net in their tournament opener against Iran last week.
The midfielder has a contract with Dortmund until the summer of 2025, but he is widely expected to be on the move next year in a deal that could reach £130m.
Man United have been heavily linked with the former Birmingham City youngster, but according to German journalist Florian Plettenberg, the Red Devils are no longer in the race for his signature.
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The report claims that Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester City are the three clubs competing for his signature, with Reds boss Jurgen Klopp pushing hard to bring him to Anfield.
However, the Merseyside giants could struggle to afford Dortmund's asking price, potentially handing an advantage to both Man City and Real Madrid.
Meanwhile, a recent report claimed that Pep Guardiola signing a new deal as Citizens head coach has increased the club's chances of bringing Bellingham to Manchester.
Bellingham has made 112 appearances for Dortmund since arriving from Birmingham in 2020, scoring 19 goals and contributing 21 assists in the process.
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Former Man United captain Rio Ferdinand recently admitted that he would be surprised if the Red Devils won the race for the teenage midfielder next summer.
"Put yourself in Jude Bellingham's shoes now... [Manchester] City are going to be in for him, Real Madrid will probably be in for him, they are all going to be, Barca (Barcelona), Bayern [Munich] will be in for him," Ferdinand said on his FIVE YouTube channel.
"There's too much work to be done at United, whether he thinks 'you know what I can be the catalyst to pull this club back to where it should be'.
"That's the only way he goes if he says that in his own mind, 'I can be that guy', if he thinks he can be that guy then Man United's the club for him, but I don't see him taking that decision."
Man United are expected to focus their efforts on signing a couple of new forwards next year, with PSV Eindhoven's Cody Gakpo and AC Milan's Rafael Leao both said to be targets for the club.
Matt Law
