Manchester United have been all but ruled out of the race to sign England’s World Cup star Jude Bellingham.
That’s according to Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, who previously tweeted:
Bellingham: I’ve been told #MUFC has almost no chance anymore.
“Triple fight: Liverpool, City, Real! #LFC & Klopp pushing! But not at any price because of FFP. Price: Up to 150 million euros! JB is LFC’s main target for central midfield, along with 2 players from South America.”
X News #Bellingham: I’m told #MUFC has almost no chance anymore. Triple fight: Liverpool, City, Real! #LFC & Klopp pushing! But not at any price because of FFP. Price: Up to 150 million euros! JB is LFC’s main target for central midfield, along with 2 players from South America. @SkysportDE
– Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) November 25, 2022
The news will come as a major blow to fans who witnessed Bellingham’s sensational performance against Iran in England’s World Cup opener.
While he struggled remarkably against the energetic USA midfield, his talent is undeniable.
As a confident passer and strong ball carrier, Bellingham may have offered Erik ten Hag many of the qualities he sought to acquire in Frenkie de Jong over the summer.
It seems that United must now turn their attention to alternative targets in midfield.
While Casemiro and Christian Eriksen have performed well for the Red Devils since signing in the last transfer window, the latter in particular has no cover.
Eriksen showed signs of fatigue as United’s schedule became more congested in the run-up to the World Cup in Qatar and Ten Hag’s side appear to lack any kind of creativity deep in his absence.
An alternative could be Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who scored a marvelous goal yesterday to help keep Argentina’s World Cup hopes alive against Mexico yesterday.
He may also be one of two players Plettenberg says Liverpool are looking at as alternatives to Bellingham.
The 21-year-old Argentine only moved to Benfica in the summer, but he has already been linked with Europe’s biggest club and United are believed to be a particularly keen fan.
