Chelsea are keen to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham as they consider the teenager as a potential “better buy” compared to West Ham ace Declan Rice, according to Eurosport.
Since joining Dortmund from Birmingham City this summer, Bellingham has shown why he is widely considered as the best 17-year-old talent in world football.
Particularly in the past weeks in which he scored his first Bundesliga and Champions League goals, against Stuttgart and Manchester City, respectively.
It is hardly a surprise that a lot of clubs are interested in the England international despite his recent move to Dortmund, but according to Eurosport, Chelsea are the club most interested at this stage.
The report claims that the recruitment team at Chelsea have been thinking about their midfield situation for a while.
The search for a new midfielder might have started before this season, considering club legend and former manager Frank Lampard recently opened up about his intention to sign Rice from West Ham.
But while Lampard saw Rice as the missing piece, there is “growing feeling” at the club that Bellingham could be a better buy, the Eurosport report added.
“A better buy” is a subjective term, obviously.
Bellingham is about four years younger and arguably more versatile as he is capable of playing as the No.6, No.8 and No.10 positions.
But Eurosport also added that since signing the teenager for £25million last summer, Dortmund have always had the intention of making a huge profit if they have to sell the teenager and realised that he could grow into a £100m player, similar to Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland.
That £100m price tag might even be higher than the transfer fee that West Ham would demand for Rice.
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