Jude Bellingham stepped onto the training ground in the summer of 2023 with no signs of being starstruck. Around him ran some of the world’s very best players. Then-Real coach Ancelotti chuckled when he asked someone to check Bellingham’s passport, this Englishman couldn’t be that young. Now at 22, a former United star advises that Manchester United are “breaking the bank” to secure the England international. A signing that sends the big signal.
Bellingham’s debut season was absolutely outstanding, where he was given a free role to do what suited him. 23 goals and 13 assists in 42 games were the result. Then came the second season with Kylian Mbappé in the squad and a whole new dynamic. Suddenly, Bellingham played a different role – which didn’t suit him either. The titles did not materialize, this season Xabi Alonso took over, introducing a game that did not suit Bellingham either. Then Alonso disappeared, Spanish media has begun to claim signals are sent that Bellingham is anything but happy.
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United tried to sign Bellingham when he was just 16 years old, where Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took Jude and his family on a tour of Carrington. United rolled out the red carpet for the teenager, which included visits from legendary captains Bryan Robson and Eric Cantona, plus Sir Alex Ferguson. To no avail, the choice fell on Borussia Dortmund.
Robson later explained: “It was very disappointing. We were at Carrington, and Sir Alex Ferguson was there a little earlier than me, but Eric and I met him, and his mother and father, and we chatted away. It looked really promising that he would sign for Manchester United… Eric and I did a bad job when he signed for Borussia! We thought we had him in the box!”
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Former United defender Wes Brown believes Man Utd need to go after Bellingham again to signal that they will return to their former heights and challenge for the Premier League and Champions League titles every season.
“Jude Bellingham, what a great player, and even at a young age for me, I think he can handle the limelight, the responsibility on the pitch and be the guy on the pitch when needed. It’s a bit like how Bruno plays for United now, taking responsibility in games. Even when we didn’t play well, he took responsibility. Sometimes he even got a little criticism for doing it too. Jude is also a fantastic player who would definitely make the team better, 100%, Brown begins according to Goal.
-He has the ability, the drive, he has the defensive side of his game, and he has that authority in the game as well, the way he has built himself up. If something were to happen at Real Madrid, believe me that all big clubs would look at him regardless of the price. He would be a formidable signing for everyone, and what a signing he would be for Manchester United. It would be a signing where you say, ‘OK, we’re back on track and we’re going to get the best players and start building a proper team,'” Brown concludes.
