Borussia Dortmund set to sign highly rated Manchester United target Jude Bellingham

Borussia Dortmund have won the race for the signature of 16 year old Birmingham City midfielder Jude Bellingham, reports in Germany say.

Bellingham is enjoying an excellent breakthrough campaign in the second tier of English football with Birmingham City. He doesn’t turn 17 until June, but his performances have already attracted the interest of a number of big clubs including Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea.

Now the Black and Yellows appear to have won the race for his signature, with Bellingham set to join the club in the summer.

According to SportBILD, Borussia Dortmund will pay a club record fee in the region of 35 million euros to sign Bellingham. Local newspaper Ruhr Nachrichten have confirmed that Dortmund are indeed closing in on his signature. But they say that the club will pay a training compensation instead of a transfer fee, just like they did when they signed Jadon Sancho from Manchester City in 2017.

ESPN say that Bellingham has been on Borussia Dortmund’s radar for quite some time, and he recently visited the club’s training facilities. Ruhr Nachrichten add that the club have already agreed personal terms with the player, and if signed, he will be a part of the first team next season.

Bellingham may only be 16, but he has already become a key player for Birmingham City’s senior team. He has made a total of 31 appearances for the club, and has four goals and three assists to his name. His performances have seen him earn comparisons with Tottenham Hotspur’s Dele Alli.