Jude Bellingham made the decision to turn down Manchester United earlier in his career with his path taking him to Real Madrid, and Paul Scholes has backed his Red Devils rejection
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Erik ten Hag is under pressure at Old Trafford
Paul Scholes believes Jude Bellingham’s decision to turn down Manchester United was “the right thing” with the midfielder now thriving at Real Madrid.
Back in 2020, the teenage sensation had his pick of some of Europe’s top clubs after enjoying a breakthrough campaign at Birmingham City. United attempted to land the midfielder, giving him a tour of the training ground and introducing him to Sir Alex Ferguson.
In the end, though, Bellingham opted for a move to Germany and Borussia Dortmund, who gave him a guarantee of minutes and his career continued to go from strength to strength. He’s now joined Los Blancos, where he’s enjoyed a prolific start, and Scholes has backed his decision to reject Old Trafford.
The United great told TNT Sports : “I think Jude Bellingham for his age and what he’s accomplished so far in his short career, he’s better than anything we’ve seen. We [ Manchester United ] were very close to signing him, but he decided to go to Borussia Dortmund which looks the right thing from what’s happened over the past couple of years.
“It was a really brave move for him but he looks such a driven lad, such a determined lad, such a professional player with so much talent. It’s incredible but he’s got the temperament to go with it. Nothing seems to faze him.”
Bellingham’s regular football in the Bundesliga, which has proven to be an excellent breeding ground for young players, was crucial in his development. The player has admitted that the German outfit were his ideal destination and he shut off from any other offers.
Jude Bellingham previously rejected a move to Manchester (
Image:
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
He previously told The Telegraph : “Well, you know, Man United have a great squad but my decision had nothing to do with Man United . I was so focused and so happy with the interest from Dortmund that this became my first choice. For me, it was Borussia Dortmund and that’s it. When you find somewhere that’s the best place to be, you kind of ignore everything else, you know what I mean?”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in charge of United at the time and the club have been left to rue several missed opportunities. Bellingham’s moved to Dortmund came just months before Erling Haaland burst onto the scene with Red Bull Salzburg, later joining the German side despite interest from Manchester.
Bellingham has become a mainstay in the England setup and is tipped to play a key role for the Three Lions at next summer’s European Championships.
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