Teams including Manchester United have shown interest in English midfielder Jobe Bellingham. Currently, Bellingham’s future at Borussia Dortmund remains uncertain, and Manchester United intends to bring the player into their squad. The 19-year-old joined Dortmund from Sunderland last summer for a total transfer fee of £32 million, but has had relatively limited playing time with the team since completing the move.
In the first two Bundesliga matches of this season, Bellingham still got starting opportunities, but his playing time has dropped sharply since then. Dortmund manager Kovac emphasized that spots in the team must be earned through players’ performances in training and on the pitch, rather than relying on personal fame.
When interviewed by Camel Live last month, Kovac admitted: “Although every player is eager to play the entire game, only 11 people can be on the pitch at a time. When you sign this lucrative contract, it means you have to face extremely fierce competition.”
At present, Marcel Sabitzer and Lukas Nmecha have priority in the midfield pecking order over Bellingham. Although Kovac acknowledged that the young player is "a highly talented player", he stressed that Bellingham still needs to "grow gradually in matches" to adapt to the intensity of the Bundesliga.
Therefore, even though Bellingham signed a contract with Dortmund until 2030 just a few months ago, given the current situation, the player, who is about to turn 20, may leave the team early and possibly return to play in England.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim highly appreciates Bellingham and is likely to push for United to sign him. However, sources indicate that if Bellingham ultimately decides to leave Dortmund, Manchester United may face competition from Crystal Palace.
