As Jude Bellingham gears up to shine for Real Madrid in the Champions League final, Manchester United may be left pondering what might have been. Bellingham will be the centre of attention at Wembley on Saturday night when he faces Borussia Dortmund, the team who nurtured him after his departure from Birmingham City. A victory over his former side would see the England star hoist the most coveted trophy in European club football and even solidify his position as a frontrunner for the Ballon d’Or. Having already clinched the La Liga title with Real Madrid, Bellingham has developed immensely since his breakout season at St Andrew’s at the tender age of 16. The midfielder famously turned down a high-profile move to United in 2020, with part of the club’s sales pitch reportedly irking Sir Alex Ferguson. After making his mark at Birmingham City, it was clear that Bellingham was one of the game’s best prospects, prompting plenty of interest from elite clubs. United were among those leading the race, with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer preparing a presentation to persuade Bellingham and enlisting several club legends to help secure the deal. The Athletic reported that Solskjaer invited Ferguson to meet with Bellingham and his family during their visit to Carrington. However, it’s said that football director John Murtough cut short their interaction to give Bellingham a tour of the training facilities, leaving Ferguson ‘incandescent’, although Murtough denies interrupting their conversation. Reflecting on the meeting, Solskjaer shared with Stick to Football: “Jude, he was in the building. I was there, Sir Alex Ferguson was there, Bryan Robson and Eric Cantona were all there that day when he came to the club. “We all spoke to him and sold it as well as we could. He knew what he wanted, a certain amount of minutes in the first team. He was 17 at the time, and he was the most mature 17-year-old I’ve ever met he had it all planned out.”
As Jude Bellingham prepares to shine for Real Madrid in the Champions League final, Manchester United may find themselves wondering what may have been.
Bellingham will be the center of attention at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night when he takes on Borussia Dortmund, the team who fostered him when he left Birmingham City. A win over his former team would see the England star lift the most coveted trophy in European club football and consolidate his place as a frontrunner for the Ballon d’Or.
Bellingham, who has already won the La Liga title with Real Madrid, has come a long way since his debut season at St Andrew’s when he was only 16. The midfielder notoriously declined a high-profile transfer to Manchester United in 2020, with Sir Alex Ferguson apparently annoyed with a portion of the club’s sales presentation.
After establishing his imprint at Birmingham City, it was evident that Bellingham was one of the game’s greatest prospects, attracting a lot of attention from top teams. United were among the frontrunners in the contest, with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer crafting a presentation to persuade Bellingham and recruiting numerous club icons to assist seal the deal.
According to The Athletic, Solskjaer invited Ferguson to meet with Bellingham and his family while they were visiting Carrington. However, football director John Murtough is reported to have interrupted their chat to give Bellingham a tour of the training facilities, leaving Ferguson ‘incandescent’, though Murtough denies doing so.
Reflecting on the encounter, Solskjaer told Stick to Football: “Jude was in the building. I was there, as were Sir Alex Ferguson, Bryan Robson, and Eric Cantona, on the day he visited the club.
“We all chatted with him and sold it as best we could. He understood what he wanted: a particular number of minutes with the first squad. He was 17 at the time, and he was the most mature 17-year-old I’d ever met; he had everything planned.”
