Germany legend Lothar Matthaus has tipped Borussia Dortmund to receive a club-record transfer fee for Jude Bellingham, with Manchester City one of the sides interested in the teenager.
Speaking to Bild, the World Cup-winning captain predicted that the Bundesliga club will receive more for Bellingham than what Dortmund recouped for Ousmane Dembele back in 2017, with the France international joining FC Barcelona that summer for an astonishing £135m as reported by BBC Sport.
As per the report, Bellingham could go for much more than what Barcelona paid for Dembele over five years ago, with the England international’s transfer valuation set to increase after the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where the City target has been magical.
The midfielder has started every game for Gareth Southgate’s side, and there’s every chance that Dortmund will increase their €150m (£130m) transfer fee for Bellingham to way beyond what the Bundesliga giants managed to bring in for Dembele in 2017.
Indeed, City will have to pay a club-record fee if they’re to sign Bellingham in the summer. And for Matthaus, there’s every chance that the 19-year-old will become one of the most expensive players of all time if a suitable offer is made for the Dortmund star.
The Germany legend said: “Bellingham could be worth more than what Dembele was sold for. I think €130m to €150m is realistic. If he continues to do so well at the World Cup, he might even bring in more than €150m to BVB. His age, his achievements and the interest of many clubs make such a prize possible.”
City must match whatever transfer fee Dortmund want for Bellingham
City are no strangers to spending big on players. Yet Bellingham is a talent that only comes around in English football once in a generation, and the Premier League champions must match whatever Dortmund want for their superstar midfielder in the summer.
After all, City’s ageing midfield is primed for a player like Bellingham to come in and to take over one of the key positions in Pep Guardiola’s squad, and the Manchester side have the funds and the ambition to match whatever Dortmund will demand for the teenager in 2023.
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