Fabrizio Romano thinks Man City now after ‘really special’ talent as €100m point made

Fabrizio Romano lauded Jude Bellingham’s superb opening performance for England at the Qatar World Cup, branding the midfielder a ‘really special’ talent.

The Three Lions secured a big 6-2 win against Iran to top their group and the Borussia Dortmund star was very much at the centre of it all.

“Maguire had a great game, also I think we can say that Bellingham is now 100% to be considered one of the best midfielders in the world. It’s not just about the potential, he’s really special,” the Italian journalist told Caught Offside.

Inevitably, this will provide some serious encouragement for the 19-year-old’s current club and the kind of value the tournament looks set to add to his asking price.

“Players’ value will inevitably go up if they have a good World Cup,” Romano – who has covered Man City’s interest in the teenager on several occasions – went on to add.

“This is good for Borussia Dortmund; this is why they didn’t want to discuss selling Bellingham for €100m weeks ago, they knew there could be a chance of demanding more after the World Cup.

“I think this will prove to be a smart move.”

Man City have twice come against the 19-year-old this season when facing Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, but they won’t be his only potential suitor come the end of the season.

According to Ben Jacobs of CBS, Dortmund are preparing to lose Bellingham next summer with the likes of City, Real Madrid and Liverpool among the favourites to sign him.

Jacobs has suggested that Erling Haaland could play a crucial role in City’s attempt to sign the youngster. Haaland played with Bellingham at Dortmund, and has reportedly already told the Englishman that he should move to the Etihad Stadium.

Jacobs also suggested that Bellingham could make his decision by awarding each potential suitor ‘marks’ for different categories, as Haaland did.

He tweeted: “A standout performance from Jude Bellingham. Dortmund planning for a summer 2023 departure. Liverpool and Real Madrid are the frontrunners but it’s an open race. Erling Haaland has already told him to join Manchester City.”

And added: “Bellingham, a bit like Haaland, is also expected to ‘score’ his next move to help add a more dispassionate metric alongside his gut feeling. This may make it tough for teams without #UCL football next season.”