Manchester United are eyeing a surprise January move to sign Borussia Dortmund star Jobe Bellingham, according to BILD.
The Red Devils had a busy summer transfer window as they brought in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and goalkeeper Senne Lammens for Ruben Amorim, spending in excess of £200m to bolster the squad.
However, a slow start to the season has seen the manager come under threat for his job, and there are still question marks about the midfield department in the squad, which has sparked suggestions that the club could look to make moves in January to strengthen even further.
Man Utd Eye Move for Bellingham
Borussia Dortmund's Jobe Bellingham celebrates after the match
Bellingham, who moved to Germany in the summer after helping Sunderland earn promotion to the Premier League, has struggled to play regularly since making the switch.
The 20-year-old has started just twice in the Bundesliga so far this season, accumulating a total of 187 minutes of action so far in this campaign. That has led to speculation that the central midfielder, who has been described as a 'mini Bellingham' after his older brother Jude, is frustrated at his lack of opportunities, and he could look to move as soon as the winter window in order to play more regularly. It was even reported that his father confronted the team's manager recently in the corridor of the stadium.
Amorim is understood to be a 'huge fan' of the youngster, and the Reds could look to test Dortmund's resolve with a move in January. His physical prowess and attributes are believed to fit perfectly into the way Amorim wants his midfield to work, but Dortmund are not currently open to a sale.
Bellingham is viewed as a future asset at Signal Iduna Park, hence the club giving him a long-term contract until 2030 when they signed him. It's also mentioned that Dortmund have never tried so hard to sign a play as they did with Jobe, with club chiefs Hans-Joachim Watzke, Sebsatien Kehl, Lars Ricken and manager Niko Kovac flying to England to convince him of the move.
A deal is unlikely to happen in January, despite the interest of Man Utd, but it's certainly something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks should Bellingham's playing time not improve between now and then.
United have been strongly linked with new midfielders recently amid strong interest in Brighton star Carlos Baleba and Crystal Palace sensation Adam Wharton, but Bellingham could be a cheaper alternative and available more easily, which could spark the club into action in the market.