Manchester United have made a surprise bid in excess of £30m to sign teenage midfielder Jude Bellingham from Birmingham City, Sky Sports claims.
The 16-year-old only made his debut at the beginning of the current campaign but he has already managed 25 appearances in the Championship, where he has bagged four goals and one assist.
His bright run of form has caught the eye of the talent-spotters at Old Trafford and Sky Sports reports that the Red Devils have tabled an offer of more than £30m for his services.
The entire structure of the proposal has not been mentioned but there should definitely be add-ons in place, given United won’t take the gamble to pay the entire fee upfront.
Bellingham has mostly featured in the central midfield role for the Blues, but he has shown his versatility to play in other midfield and attacking positions including a couple of appearances as the centre-forward.
Should United reach an agreement this month, there could be the possibility of Bellingham staying put at St Andrew’s on loan for the campaign before joining the club in the summer.
Birmingham would practically prefer to keep the youngster in their ranks for a few years, but their financial plight may force their hand. They were docked nine points last term for violating profit and sustainability rules.
Manchester United have made no signings during the ongoing transfer window. Sporting’s Bruno Fernandes has been mentioned as the prime target but the negotiations for the player have reached a deadlock at present.
