BIRMINGHAM boss Pep Clotet says young star Jude Bellingham is coping well despite knowing he has recieved a £30m bid from Manchester United.
The Blues’ manager also admits he cannot guarantee the young talent won’t accept that offer and move to Old Trafford.
Young star Jude Bellingham is staying focused with Birmingham despite knowing Man Utd are interested in himCredit: PA:Empics Sport
The Red Devils, among other European clubs, are hoping to snap him up in this transfer window.
He has been referred to as the most exciting young talent since Wayne Rooney and will now be subject to somewhat of a price war between clubs.
Bellingham has already made 25 appearances this season for Birmingham and the club desperately hope they can hold onto him.
When asked by reporters about his immediate future, Clotet said: ”I am not doing ins and outs, it’s very difficult to assess this question”.
They are clinging on to hope and in celebrating his goal against Cardiff he appeared to suggest he will stay at the club for the time being.
Clotet also had a lot of positive things to say about his young startlet and the attention he is gaining at a press conference ahead of their FA Cup game against Coventry on Saturday: ”First of all it is a fantastic situation, we are very happy for the situation and those kind of rumours. Nothing has been notified to me.
”Jude has a fantastic professional attitude, he is very mature, very focused on his football and this thing is not affecting him at all.
”It is absolutely not turning his head. Jude is Birmingham through and through, he has only played for Birmingham.
”I think the club has done a fantastic job through all the academy, together with his family to give him the education he has- which is spot on.
”As a coach, I am very happy with the performances of Jude. I have used him in a lot of games.
”We try to help him become as good as possible and to help the team and his teammates have done a fantastic job with him as well, guiding him in these early stages in a professional locker room.
”We are very happy to see he looks and is very committed to the team and he is very focused on this FA Cup game”.
Bellingham joined Birmingham at the age of just seven-years-old, scoring on his debut for the club’s under 23 squad, aged just 15.
He earns £145-a-week but the youngster who turns 17 in June will certainly be on a staggeringly higher wage by then– giving him something to truly celebrate.
Pennant warns Bellingham
Former Arsenal winger Jermaine Pennant has warned Bellingha, against a move to United, saying it is too soon in his career.
Pennant told talkSPORT: ”It’s difficult, it will be so hard for Jude to turn down a move to Manchester United.
”But is it going to halt his career, at 16? Ole is not going to be throwing him into the starting line-up, he will be in the squad but won’t be starting. How many games is he going to play?
”Now he is regular at Birminham. Birmingham is in the Championship, not League One, not League Two, the Championship, it’s good football”.
He went on to add: ”Rather than going to Man Utd and hitting a brick wall, going from ‘I have been playing every week being a young starlet, to now just floating about training-when am I going to play?”’
Man Utd’s top target is 16-year-old midfielder Jude Bellingham
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
