Pep Guardiola has highly praised Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham.
The teenage sensation, who looks set to become the subject of intense transfer speculation next summer, moved from Birmingham to Dortmund at the age of just 17 years-old for a world-record fee in 2020.
Bellingham scored the opening goal against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium last month, as the Bundesliga side fell to a late 2-1 defeat in East Manchester, courtesy of goals from John Stones and Erling Haaland.
The Englishman's performance in September wasn’t the first time the 19 year-old had shone against the Sky Blues, as Bellingham featured in the Champions League quarter-finals against City in 2021.
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As Manchester City prepare to take on the Bundesliga heavyweights once again, manager Pep Guardiola was full of praise for the England midfielder.
"I think Dortmund is a perfect place for young talented players to come," said Guardiola.
"Maybe Bellingham went to a top Premier League team he wouldn't get the minutes. The best way for a young player to get better is play minutes.
"At 17 he arrived it's not just about the quality, he had a special mentality. He is already one of the captains of the team, to happen at 19 is quite impressive.
"It's not just about the goals, the whole package is really good. He's already playing for England at 19. We know the quality he has."
The teenager has already been linked with a possible return to the Premier League next summer, with City mooted to potentially be one of several Premier League sides looking to secure his signature.
Bellingham has already scored four goals in the Champions League this season, and has also been on the scoresheet domestically for Dortmund.
City completed two signings from Tuesday's opponents this summer, with both Erling Haaland and Manuel Akanji swapping North West Germany for North West England.
Haaland completed a £51 million move to City, while Akanji was a £15 million deadline day swoop.
Both have enjoyed impressive starts to life in England, with Haaland having already scored 22 goals for the reigning Premier League Champions.
On Saturday, the Norwegian increased his goalscoring tally in the division to 17, scoring twice during a 3-1 win over Brighton at the Etihad Stadium.
Haaland also scored the winner against his former club in September, acrobatically scoring in the 84th minute.
The 22 year-old returns to the Signal Iduna in midweek, with City looking to secure top spot in their Champions League Group with a win.
Topics: Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, Champions League, Jude Bellingham, Pep Guardiola
Harry Winters