During his initial stint as Chelsea manager in 2019, Frank Lampard revealed that he had attempted to secure a £20 million transfer for budding talent Jude Bellingham from Real Madrid. At that time, Bellingham was gaining recognition at Birmingham, but Chelsea’s board rejected the move, expressing concerns about the hefty price tag for a young player lacking top-level experience.
Lampard shared his frustration, stating, “When I was managing at Chelsea, I was desperate to bring Jude Bellingham in. But I couldn’t get it through upstairs—the idea of paying £20 million for someone his age (at the time).”
Following Chelsea’s refusal, Manchester United entered the picture, with legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson personally showing Bellingham around the club’s Carrington training complex. This led to a competitive bidding war between Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund for Bellingham’s signature. Eventually, Dortmund secured the talented youngster.
Bellingham thrived at Dortmund, making 132 appearances for the Bundesliga club before making a sensational move to Real Madrid in a staggering €131 million (£114 million/$138 million) deal during the summer transfer window. Since joining Los Blancos, he has made a significant impact, scoring 13 goals in 14 appearances and earning recognition as the best U21 player of the 2022-23 season, clinching the prestigious Kopa Trophy.