Jude Bellingham described talk of a move to Man Utd as silly last year and its unacceptable 

Jude Bellingham described talk of a move to Man Utd as silly last year and its unacceptable 

Jude Bellingham enjoyed a phenomenal first season with Real Madrid – but the England star was linked with a move to Manchester United last summer before his switch to the Santiago Bernabeu

 

Jude Bellingham described talk of a move to Man Utd as “silly”

Erik ten Hag was forced to perform a U-turn in Manchester United’s pursuit of Jude Bellingham after the Real Madrid star played down rumours of an Old Trafford move as “silly”.

 

 

It’s difficult to picture Bellingham playing anywhere but Real Madrid after his ground-breaking debut season in Spain. Having made the move from Borussia Dortmund last summer, the 21-year-old is already an iconic figure at the Santiago Bernabeu.

 

Bellingham’s impressive tally of 23 goals across all competitions was instrumental in driving Real Madrid to both the league title and European glory, establishing himself as one of football’s preeminent stars. Yet, only a year ago, his future was the subject of speculation, with clubs from around Europe circling Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion in the hope they could get their clutches on England’s biggest star.

 

Manchester United were among those fighting for his signature, with Ten Hag desperate to fill the void left by Paul Pogba’s departure the previous year. In a rare public display by a manager at the top level, Ten Hag openly expressed his desire to land Bellingham in April 2023.

 

When prompted by a fan outside United’s training ground to sign Kylian Mbappe and Bellingham, he responded with a smile, saying: “Why not?” before driving off.

 

 

That was despite Bellingham openly rejecting United in a video uploaded on social media just a month prior. The Euro 2024 superstar was asked: “Are you gonna come Man U?” while taking a photo with a fan, before chuckling and responding: “No. Don’t be silly.”

 

 

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag

Erik ten Hag openly expressed his interest in the midfield phenomenon

It became clear in the following months that Bellingham’s preferred destination was the Spanish capital, prompting United to cool their interest while Ten Hag grew frustrated. And yet it wasn’t the first time United had faced rejection from Bellingham in his nascent career.

 

His rise at Birmingham City didn’t go unnoticed by the Red Devils, who under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer went to great lengths to woo the young talent. They arranged a face-to-face meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson and a tour of the training ground led by former football director John Murtough.

 

Bellingham would fatefully turn down United in favour of immediate first-team chances at Dortmund. Four years on, he is in contention for the Ballon d’Or alongside world-class players such as Rodri and Vinicius Junior, while United recorded their worst Premier League finish last season in eighth place.