It seemed improbable that Manchester City would win the Borussia Dortmund lottery twice in back-to-back summers, but that is exactly what has happened with Jude Bellingham, who is now headed to Real Madrid.
Even with suggested add-ons taken into account, Bellingham will almost probably turn out to be a steal for the Spanish giants. An starting sum of about £88.5 million seems low for someone with such generational skill. City is the best at understanding the sentiment, having acquired Erling Haaland for under £51 million a year ago.
After several fruitless attempts, there was a brief period of hope that the two might be reunited in Manchester, which would have been especially satisfying for an already star-studded City team that is now attempting to emulate neighbours Manchester United by winning a historic treble.
Pep Guardiola is still focused on the challenge that awaits him on Saturday night in Istanbul. Although the Catalan won’t let anything distract him during the build-up, he might have allowed himself a small sigh as he watched the breaking news coming in from Germany.
On their way to Istanbul for the biggest match on the European circuit, City will essentially fly over the North Rhine-Westphalia region. The most sought-after midfielder on the planet, Bellingham, is packing his bags for Madrid, so there won’t be a diversion in their flight path to pick him up.
“The quality and skills, everyone knows about it, but it’s not just about that,” stated Guardiola after Bellingham scored against his City finalists – although in a losing cause for Dortmund – on their Champions League trip to the Etihad Stadium in September this season.
The City Manager said, “As I indicated when he was 17, it wasn’t simply his quality. He was yelling, leading, kicking, and approaching the referee. When that happens at the age of 19, it’s fairly impressive. I believed this boy was unique in terms of his mentality and he’s already one of [Dortmund] captains.
Bellingham is quite amazing, and even though City never really started after him, they ultimately lost out on their ideal target. Guardiola is considering his options when the market reopens and is as aware as anyone of what Real are getting.
Win or lose on Saturday, City and Guardiola are a pretty-much unbeatable proposition for potential recruits, and while they would have preferred Bellingham to help them usher in a new era, the follow-up call may not be as challenging as first thought.
However, should they twist or stick? After missing out on Harry Kane to replace Sergio Aguero the previous summer, City have emphasised with Haaland that they are willing to wait for the right player this season.
While Declan Rice and Nicolo Barella are two other excellent midfielders who could be on the market, clubs are likely to seek to bolster that position. In turn, that will drive up the cost, and despite Bellingham’s diversion, City is not exactly in need of engine room upgrades.
Of course, with increasing rumours around at least two of those players, buying him would have provided Guardiola a backup plan for Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, or Ilkay Gundogan. Now, it’s more important than ever to prioritise protecting Bernardo and Gundogan.
Bellingham has not yet received a straight response, but City already has their “solution” in-house as they work to gain entry and remain at the European summit. Elite signings will undoubtedly take notice if you finally win the illusive Champions League trophy, but Guardiola would be better off waiting and retaliating on his own terms.