Writing in today’s edition of Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, football’s biggest transfer news expert has weighed in on the race for top class midfield signings next summer.
Jude Bellingham is likely to be one of the most in-demand names on the market after his sensational form with Borussia Dortmund, but Romano is aware that clubs like Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Real Madrid will surely have alternatives in mind if they don’t manage to win the race for the England international’s signature.
One alternative could be West Ham star Declan Rice, who is another top young English talent with immense potential and the ability to play a variety of roles in the middle of the park.
Still, Romano made it clear that West Ham are fairly confident that they are protected by Rice’s current contract situation, meaning they could charge as much as €150million for the 23-year-old.
Other alternatives to Bellingham could be Youri Tielemans, who is nearing the end of his contract at Leicester City, while Romano also suggested it could be worth keeping an eye on if Frenkie de Jong’s situation at Barcelona changes.
“I get asked a lot about Jude Bellingham at the moment, but another big-name midfielder fans seem to want to know about is Declan Rice. After all, if Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid are all chasing Bellingham, only one of them can get him and the rest will need an alternative,” Romano explained.
“Still, for Declan Rice we have to consider and respect West Ham; they always wanted almost €150m for the midfielder and they feel protected by his current contract situation.
“For whoever misses out on Bellingham, I think we can consider Youri Tielemans as a good alternative – he’s continuing to show that he’s a top midfielder, and he looks set to be on the move as a free agent; and let’s see what happens with Frenkie de Jong, if he’ll change his mind or not about his situation at Barcelona.”