Predicting the move
Sportsbook odds suggest in-demand 19-year-old England midfielder Jude Bellingham is most likely to go to Liverpool amid a stellar FIFA World Cup campaign.
Transfermarkt estimates Bellingham’s current value to be €100m ($105.1m)
Bellingham has been the next soccer up-and-comer since he departed Birmingham City in England for a fee of €25m ($26.3m) at just 17 years old. International soccer data website Transfermarkt estimates Bellingham’s current value to be €100m ($105.1m), but rumors suggest he could cost far more than that.
According to sportsbooks, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Real Madrid trail Liverpool in the chase for the generational midfielder. He is under contract with Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund until 2025 and does not have a release clause.
A young star
Bellingham certainly has a case for being one of the the best players at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar thus far, alongside French attacker Kylian Mbappé and Argentinian legend Lionel Messi. As the driving force in England’s midfield, Bellingham has proven instrumental in his team’s progression to the quaterfinals of the competition where they will face France on Saturday night.
Aside from his World Cup exploits, Bellingham has already captained Borussia Dortmund and had his jersey retired by his first professional club Birmingham City – an honor typically reserved for the legends of the game.
many of the world’s best clubs are in for him
Talents such as this young Englishman do not come along every day, which is why so many of the world’s best clubs are in for him. Betting company Paddy Power has Liverpool as a +300 favorite to sign Bellingham, but several fierce competitors believe they are just as likely to acquire his services.
Ranking the candidates
Outside of Liverpool, Manchester City is second in the list of odds to sign Bellingham at +400. They are the reigning English Premier League champions and are regularly thought of as the best team in the world, though a UEFA Champions League trophy continues to evade them.
Manchester United is third at +1000 per the oddsmakers. The Red Devils have lost their dominance over the league but appear to be in a fruitful rebuild under new manager Erik ten Hag and have already integrated fresh younger players like Jadon Sancho, Anthony Elanga, and Alejandro Garnacho into the first team.
If he were to join Madrid, he would enter a star-studded midfield
La Liga team Real Madrid is a +1400 underdog to sign England’s number 22. If he were to join Madrid, he would enter a star-studded midfield that already consists of 20-year-old Eduardo Camavinga, 22-year-old Aurélien Tchouaméni, and 24-year-old Federico Valverde—not to mention the legendary pairing of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.
One Madrid fan even took it upon himself to recruit Bellingham while he was in Qatar, as seen on Twitter:
An outside chance
Newcastle is also in with a shout at Bellingham at +1600 with sportsbooks. The North England team does not currently have the same profile as the other clubs but now has more money than all of them combined. Newcastle is also third in the English Premier League table with a comparatively weak squad and is showing signs that it will be competitive for years to come.
Chelsea (+2500) rounds out the list of top suitors for the wunderkind. Owner Todd Boehly declared that he will match any figure for Bellingham having already spent a club record during the summer transfer window.