Jude Bellingham has been told: Go and and join Manchester United as you won’t get into Chelsea’s academy team.
Frank Lampard knows that he needs to keep adding to his side during the summer transfer window as he needs to take this to the next stage and get Chelsea challenging for more than a top four spot and Champions League money, Roman Abramovic wants to be challenging for titles.
Lampard has already seen the Chelsea make a move to wrap up a deal for Hakim Ziyech, but with reports suggesting both Willian and Pedro could be leaving the club, Lampard knows that he may still need to add another winger to the side, with Bellingham on the shopping list.
Bellingham had been expected to sign for United this summer after it was revealed that Red Devils chiefs gave the 16-year-old a tour of the club’s Carrington training ground earlier in the season, but reports claim that Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund have both held talks with the Birmingham prodigy.
Birmingham could hold out for as much as £50m for Bellingham, who has established himself as a mainstay in the Championship side this season, as the youngster has scored four goals and provided three assists in 32 league appearances for the St Andrews club.
And Chelsea supposedly see Bellingham as an exciting prospect who would fit into the senior squad well as manager Frank Lampard oversees a transition towards a more youthful approach, and the development of academy graduates such as Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, Reece James, Fikayo Tomori and Callum Hudson-Odoi will work in Chelsea’s favour as they look to entice Bellingham to London.
However, Sinclair told GentingBet: “He has to think about playing games, getting better and improving as a player – which I think will be very difficult for him to do at Chelsea.
“You look at the youngsters coming through the ranks at Chelsea and you’d say that there are better players coming through the academy than Bellingham anyway.
“So, if he is going to move on from Birmingham and kick on at a higher level, it is really important that he goes to a club where he can play week in, week out as that’s the only way he’ll improve and fulfil the potential that he’s got.
“I think Bellingham needs to be very wary of his next move.”
