PREMIER LEAGUE
Manchester City want Jude Bellingham but financial issues may cause problems
The current Premier League champions have joined Liverpool and Real Madrid in the pursuit of the Englishman, who they see as a Kevin De Bruyne replacement.
Premier League champions Manchester City have entered the race for Jude Bellingham, reports in England claim. The English midfielder, currently at Borussia Dortmund, has excelled for both club and country over the past 18 months and is increasingly being seen as a solid, long-term bet for Europe’s top clubs.
Now Manchester City have identified Bellingham as a potential replacement for their star creator, Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian moved back to England from Wolfsburg in 2015 and has since become one of the all-time great players to play in England. However, he turns 32 in June and the club understand that his influence on the side cannot last forever. The Telegraph reports that City are “determined” to take Bellingham from under the noses of both Liverpool and Real Madrid.
Bellingham to Madrid seemed good to go
Jude Bellingham, at just 19, has already captained Dortmund and has been on Real Madrid’s radar for a while, with the club having reportedly spoken to his family about a move and also weighing up a complex financial package that would be well over €100 million to seal the deal.
More recently, the future of the player has looked less secure to end up on Spanish soil, as it has been said that a move to England is not off the cards, although Liverpool’s disappointing season and potential lack of Champions League football next season (if they do not make the top four or win this year’s tournament) may sway the player away from Merseyside.
How might potential charges affect Manchester City in the transfer market?
Under normal circumstances, Manchester City could simply identify the player they wanted before purchasing them with ease, given the huge financial backing the club has. But things have changed: on 7 February 2023, news broke that the Premier League had charged them with more than 100 alleged breaches of the financial rules that govern all the clubs in the division.
The punishments for such incidents, should they be proven guilty, could range from anything from a fine, to docked points or even stripped titles and relegation from the Premier League. It is too early to speculate on the potential punishments City could find themselves in were they proven to have done wrong, however the storm clouds that have been cast over the blue half of Manchester have no doubt put questions marks on the lips of those who frequent the Etihad Stadium.
Despite all this, it appears as though Manchester City are going to put their heads in the sand and carry on as normal. In terms of Bellingham, City may pursue him with all the financial might they have, but it could be the player who sees the underlying issues and decides against the move. We shall see.
