Graham Potter isn’t short of central midfielders with Enzo Fernandez joining N’Golo Kante, Denis Zakaria, Mateo Kovacic, Conor Gallagher, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Carney Chukwuemeka and Andrey Santos at his disposal, but Matt Law of the Telegraph says Chelsea are still ‘interested’ in Jude Bellingham.
The 19-year-old joined Borussia Dortmund from Birmingham City in 2020 and has made 119 appearances in all competitions, scoring 20 goals with 24 assists. He’s made 29 appearances this season, scoring 10 goals with six assists, and doesn’t turn 20 until June.
Bellingham, regarded as the best young midfielder in Europe, is adept at turning over possession (4.1 tackles/interceptions per league game this season), can carry the ball from deep (2.4 successful dribbles per league game) and has a great eye for goal (eight goals/assists from 19 league games), so it’s little wonder sides want him.
Dortmund are resigned to losing Bellingham this summer and could let him leave for €150m (£132m), so Chelsea would have to break their transfer record (£107m on Enzo Fernandez in 2023, per Sky Sports) for a second consecutive transfer window to sign him.
Law says the Blues acknowledge they aren’t leading the race for Bellingham’s signature, however, as Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid are also keen. So time will tell where the England international ends up over the summer.
Kante has made only two appearances this season as he’s been out for months with a hamstring injury. Zakaria has mostly sat on the bench, making just seven appearances. He’s also missed games due to a hamstring injury. Gallagher has started only 10 of Chelsea’s 23 league outings. Loftus-Cheek has made just one league appearance since November. Chukwuemeka has started only one top-flight match since joining last summer. And Santos hasn’t turned out for Chelsea since his January arrival.
So Bellingham would walk into the midfield, but it remains to be seen if Chelsea can beat out the competition. They have the financial resources to agree a deal with Dortmund but may not have the clout to lure him if they finish in mid-table and miss out on European football next season.
The 19-year-old surely wouldn’t reject Man City to join the Londoners if given the choice in the coming months.
