Man Utd, Liverpool and Real Madrid dealt huge blow in the race for Bellingham

Cameron Smith

• 13 May 2022 14:47 BST
• 3 min read

The race to sign Jude Bellingham has taken another turn, and it comes as a huge blow for those clubs in the running to secure his signature.

Bellingham, 18, only joined Borussia Dortmund two years ago, but he's already been linked with a move to one of Europe's elite teams.

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Liverpool have expressed a clear interest in the former Birmingham City star, with the likes of Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Thiago Alcantara all over the age of 30.

However, while his current team-mate Erling Haaland is leaving the German club this summer, Bellingham has confirmed that he won't be following that path. Haaland will officially become a Manchester City player on 1 July, but Dortmund have managed to ward off any attempts to sign Bellingham so far.

The Englishman's contract at the Signal Iduna Park doesn't expire until 2025, meaning Dortmund do hold all the cards in regards to his future.

Will Bellingham leave Dortmund?

It is expected that Bellingham will leave BVB at some point over the next few years, but he has plenty of time left to make a switch to a European giant due to his age.

And he has confirmed that he'll still be a Dortmund player by the start of the 2022/23 Bundesliga campaign. The Englishman told RNBVB: "I will be here at Borussia Dortmund next season. I'm ready."

He added: "The only future I'm thinking about is the next game with Dortmund," according to Get German Football News.

While Dortmund are preparing for the departure of Erling Haaland after Man City activated his release clause, the news that Bellingham will still be around will no doubt be a boost.

Liverpool and Manchester United had both been pursuing a move, while Real Madrid were also keen. However, several reports suggested Los Blancos were only ever interested in signing Bellingham in 2023, which remains a possibility.

Dortmund have already signed Karim Adeyemi, Niklas Sule and Nico Schlotterbeck before the summer window opens as they look to improve and challenge Bayern for the Bundesliga title next season.