When the time came for Jude Bellingham to leave Birmingham City and move to Germany to join Borussia Dortmund, Bryan Robson jokingly accepted some of the blame. Bellingham had decided against signing with Manchester United. Bellingham became the most expensive 17-year-old in history when he signed with Dortmund at the age of 17 for a reported £25 million.
Bellingham, who made his debut in the first squad that season under Pep Clotet, did well in the Championship. He signed a professional contract to make sure his boyhood club would profit from his departure through a sale rather than through a tribunal. He played for Dortmund for three years, captaining the team as a teenager and just missing out on winning the Bundesliga.
Bellingham moved once more in the summer, this time to Spain, when he signed a contract with Real Madrid. This put an end to rumors that he was returning to England, with Manchester City and Liverpool being big contenders. The £88.5 million England midfield player, who will be a key member of Gareth Southgate’s team in the Euros this summer, has already had a significant impact on Real Madrid.
As the club tried to persuade Bellingham that joining United was the best option for him, Robson, the former midfielder for West Bromwich Albion, and Sir Alex Ferguson joined him on his tour of Old Trafford and the training ground. If only things had gone a little bit differently for Bellingham, his family, and Blues too.
Robson expressed his disappointment to the Telegraph. “Sir Alex Ferguson arrived at Carrington a little earlier than I was, but Eric and I met him and his parents, and we struck up a conversation.” The prospect of his joining Manchester United seemed very promising. Eric and I performed a terrible job when he signed with Borussia! We believed we had him under control!
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