Manchester City hold Jude Bellingham transfer belief amid competition from Liverpool, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea

Manchester City hold a strong belief regarding the upcoming transfer pursuit of Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham, according to a recent report.

The Premier League champions are understood in some quarters to be eyeing a move for a top-level midfielder next summer.

Pep Guardiola's ageing midfield, as well as the continued uncertainty surrounding Bernardo Silva, means that Etihad Stadium officials will be at work eyeing the perfect candidate to come in to the current squad.

The aforementioned Portuguese midfielder continues to be commanding interest from La Liga giants FC Barcelona, while the likes of Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne - despite being at the very top of their game - are not getting any younger.

One potential candidate that could capture the imagination of Manchester City transfer chiefs is Borussia Dortmund and England international midfielder Jude Bellingham.

Despite being just 19 years of age, the midfielder's rise in the professional game since leaving Birmingham City for the Bundesliga side has been nothing short of remarkable.

Bellingham is already believed to be ready to dictate a midfield at the very top of European football, although the price tag and Borussia Dortmund's obvious reluctancy to sell could make life difficult for potential suitors.

Nevertheless, there is hope at the Etihad Stadium.

Liverpool tried to sign Jude Bellingham back in 2012 (Image: Alamy)

According to The Sun, Manchester City are convinced that they will win a high-profile battle to bring Jude Bellingham to England next summer.

It is further highlighted that Bellingham's former Dortmund teammate Erling Haaland has already told him how much he is enjoying life at Manchester City, while Pep Guardiola rates the Englishman so highly that he believes he could eventually fill Kevin De Bruyne’s boots in the sky blue midfield.

One staggering suggestion in the same report is that Bellingham could also be available for around £80 million - which many clubs would deem incredible value for money, for a player of his calibre and with a ceiling as high as his when it comes to potential growth.

But who could Manchester City face competition from for Jude Bellingham?

Liverpool target Jude Bellingham

Unsurprisingly, there is expected to be a long queue for the player, although The Athletic believe Liverpool, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea will all rival Manchester City for the teenager.

Manchester City do of course have the possible advantage of having a strong business relationship with officials at Borussia Dortmund.

During the summer transfer window of 2022, both Erling Haaland and Manuel Akanji made the switch from Germany, while Ilkay Gundogan has also been a previous transfer involving the two clubs.

Manchester City's Erling Haaland

Manchester City will certainly have other names on their midfield shortlist ahead of next summer, although Jude Bellingham's name is more than likely to feature prominently on the existing line-up of athletes under consideration.