Bellingham 'admired' by Arsenal but 'considerable underdogs' in transfer race

Cameron Smith

• 4 Jan 2023 15:02 GMT
• 3 min read

Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham is admired by Arsenal's recruitment team, but the Gunners are currently lagging behind in the race to sign him, according to reports.

Bellingham, 19, is expected to leave the Bundesliga this summer, with elite clubs across Europe taking a keen interest in him thanks to his immaculate spell at Dortmund so far.

The England international, who starred at the 2022 World Cup, is being pursued by the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid, both of whom have registered their interest for over a year.

READ: Bellingham rejected HUGE Man Utd transfer offer

Los Blancos are believed to be leading the race for Bellingham right now, but they are set to be joined in the hunt by Arsenal.

The Gunners' recruitment team are big admirers of Bellingham, according to The Athletic, but they currently face two issues.

READ: Bellingham to hold 'decisive' transfer talks this week

Bellingham to Arsenal?

The first issue that Arsenal face is the price. Bellingham is set to cost in excess of €100 million, with Dortmund understood to value the former Birmingham City star at around €150m, which could price Mikel Arteta's side out of a move.

Even Champions League money may not help Arsenal, especially as they want to sign Mkyhalio Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk too.

Furthermore, other elite sides have been linked for a while longer than Arsenal and while they are currently leading the way in the Premier League, the Gunners may not be able to persuade Bellingham to neglect interest from elsewhere to come to North London. That's why The Athletic have reported that Arsenal "may find themselves considerable underdogs" in the race to sign Bellingham.

Real Madrid have the pulling power and financial weight to sign Bellingham, and currently seem like the most obvious destination for the Englishman later this year. Either way, Bellingham could well find himself pursued heavily by Arsenal, with his playing style seemingly perfectly suited to Arteta's side.