What if Manchester United signed Jude Bellingham in 2020?

Jude Bellingham has been one of the biggest revelations in European football in recent seasons. The 20-year-old joined Spanish giants Real Madrid in the summer of 2023 in a big-money move from Borussia Dortmund. To almost everyone’s surprise, Bellingham has grabbed the headlines throughout the campaign so far in Spain with his impressive performances

Ever since Bellingham burst onto the scene in professional football with Birmingham City, he has not failed to catch the eye of top clubs. The world has seen top clubs such as Real Madrid, Liverpool and Manchester City battle it out to capture his signature in 2023. However, in 2020 it was Manchester United who came closest to securing the Englishman’s services.

Jude Bellingham had his first taste of senior-level football with Birmingham City in the 2019-20 season. According to reports at the time, the then Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, was impressed with the teenager’s display. As a result, the club even submitted a bid of £30 million but Bellingham was ultimately ignored in favor of a move to Borussia Dortmund.

How would Jude Bellingham’s career have been if he joined Manchester United?

We would have been looking at a very opposite career path for Jude Bellingham had he indeed been convinced to move to Old Trafford. The role Borussia Dortmund played in his development cannot be understated. In our opinion, joining the Bundesliga provided Jude Bellingham with the perfect level of exposure at such a young age.

It’s no secret that United have been largely held back over the past decade by their questionable tactics. Bellingham made a wise decision not to get involved with a club with no clear direction to achieve their long-term objectives. It’s hard to imagine the midfielder’s move from Manchester United to Dortmund.

We believe the 2023 Golden Boy winner would be miles away from the situation he currently enjoys at Real Madrid if he joined Manchester United in 2020. The claim is even supported by the similar example of Jadon Sancho. The winger decided to link himself to United after a successful spell with Borussia Dortmund in Germany. It’s fair to say that Sancho has not enjoyed his time at United so far and has certainly questioned his move.

Jude Bellingham’s incredible debut season with Real Madrid

The 20-year-old midfielder made a bold call to join the world’s biggest club early in his career. There were several question marks in the beginning about whether he could adapt to a different league, language and culture as the game progressed. Bellingham responded strongly with one of Real Madrid’s best debut seasons in recent memory.

On the back of a disappointing season, Real Madrid paid a hefty sum to secure the services of Jude Bellingham in 2023. He has ensured that he has repaid the trust reposed in him with excellent performances throughout the campaign Bellingham has been Madrid’s top scorer in La Liga so far with 18 goals to help Los Blancos win their 36th La Liga title.

With the European season winding down, Bellingham and Real Madrid have the chance for more silverware with the UEFA Champions League still very much within reach. Their a*sociation shows no signs of breaking up. The England international has regularly mentioned his desire to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu for a long time and become a legend at the club.

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