Manchester United ponders what could have been as Jude Bellingham prepares to shine for Real Madrid in the Champions League final.
Bellingham, set to face Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on Saturday night, has come a long way since his days at Birmingham City. A victory over his former club would not only secure the most prestigious club trophy in European football but also position him as a leading contender for the Ballon d’Or.
Since joining Real Madrid, Bellingham has already won the La Liga title and significantly developed from his breakthrough at St Andrew’s at age 16. Back in 2020, the young midfielder famously turned down a high-profile move to United. A decision that reportedly left Sir Alex Ferguson furious.
At that time, many clubs sought Bellingham, who had made 44 appearances for Birmingham. United were keen to sign him, with then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer putting together an impressive presentation to highlight Bellingham’s first-team prospects. The club enlisted several legends, including Ferguson, to help persuade him.
According to The Athletic, Solskjaer arranged for Ferguson to speak with Bellingham and his family during their visit to Carrington. However, football director John Murtough allegedly interrupted this interaction to showcase the training facilities. A move that left Ferguson ‘incandescent’—though Murtough has denied cutting the conversation short.
Reflecting on the encounter, Solskjaer recounted to “Stick to Football“: “Jude was in the building. I was there, Sir Alex Ferguson was there, Bryan Robson and Eric Cantona were all there that-day when he visited. We all spoke to him and presented our best case. He knew exactly what he wanted—a certain amount of first-team minutes. At 17, he was the most mature teenager I’ve ever met—he had everything planned out.”
This aligns with Bellingham’s comments after signing for Dortmund: “The direction they are heading in and their focus on developing young players made it an easy decision for me and my family,” he said.
Dortmund’s reputation for nurturing young talent, evident in Jadon Sancho’s success, and the opportunity to play alongside Erling Haaland were significant factors in Bellingham’s decision. Despite United’s efforts, Bellingham chose to move abroad.
Former Birmingham City CEO Dong Ren revealed that United made a much more lucrative offer than Bayern, Dortmund, Leicester, or Wolves. “United made the biggest offer we received. Ed Woodward was the most insistent. We discussed extensively how to convince Bellingham, but he wasn’t swayed by money. They offered much more salary—maybe double. He was guaranteed millions but didn’t take it. That’s not typical for a player.”
Even with Ferguson’s full charm offensive, Bellingham might have always been destined for Dortmund. Ex-United captain Bryan Robson humorously blamed himself and Eric Cantona for failing to secure Bellingham’s signature. “It was looking very promising for Manchester United,” Robson told The Telegraph. “Eric and I did a rubbish job as he signed for Borussia! We thought we had him in the bag!”
As Bellingham now eyes Champions League glory with Real Madrid, United can only reflect on what might have been.
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