Manchester City lead race for primary transfer target amid Erling Haaland and Jack Grealish assistance

A new report has detailed that Manchester City are now leading the race to sign Borussia Dortmund sensation Jude Bellingham this summer.

The England international has been at the centre of a scramble between some of Europe’s most prominent clubs for a number of months now, and especially after his spectacular performances for his country at the recent FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The 19 year-old is viewed by many clubs as a generational talent, and an opportunity that simply cannot be missed, should he become available for a price within reach over the course of the next few months.

The feeling in various camps is that Borussia Dortmund will sell this summer, despite officials at the Bundesliga club wanting to retain his services for at least another year at a very minimum.

But to who the German side could sell to this summer remains somewhat up in the air, despite a new report identifying Manchester City as the leading candidates for the teenager’s in-demand signature in the coming weeks and months.

That is according to ESPN’s Rob Dawson and Rodrigo Faez, who report that Manchester City are now ‘growing increasingly confident’ in their pursuit of Jude Bellingham, as they look to sign at least one midfielder this summer.

In terms of timeframes over the possible completion of a deal, it is reported that City would look to have a transfer finalised before Pep Guardiola’s team depart for their pre-season tour – which is expected to take place in Asia.

Additional reporting from Mike Keegan of the Daily Mail also states that Manchester City believe they are in a good position in regards to Jude Bellingham, and little has happened since November to change that stance.

Any deal would not come without a significant financial outlay, with a fee north of £130 million mooted in some quarters, and significantly limiting the number of clubs that could possibly sanction such figures for one player.

Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland – whom Jude Bellingham formed a strong partnership and friendship with during their time together at Borussia Dortmund – have been described as being important in convincing the player to opt for a switch to the Etihad Stadium.

Last summer, Manchester City won the highly-publicised race for Erling Haaland, allowing them to announce that a deal had been agreed with Borussia Dortmund well in advance of the player actually moving to the north-west of England.

There is a chance that the Premier League giants would look to operate in a very similar manner, and avoid a long, drawn-out saga involving themselves and any other potential suitors in the race for Jude Bellingham.