John Murtough 'gains' Manchester United Jude Bellingham transfer advantage over Liverpool and more rumours

Manchester United could find themselves in 'pole position' to sign highly-rated England international Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund next summer.

That is according to a report by The Athletic, who claim that any interested club must already be 'putting in the groundwork' to try and form a good relationship with Bellingham's father, Mark. It is claimed that football director John Murtough has made creating a good relationship with the latter a 'priority' ahead of any future move for his son.

Bellingham, who will be hoping to be named in Gareth Southgate's England World Cup squad, is attracting interest from a wealth of clubs after an impressive couple of years at Dortmund. The 19-year-old joined the German giants from Birmingham City in June 2020 and has gone from strength-to-strength.

READ MORE: Jude Bellingham has told United what they need would need to do to sign him

United, who tried to sign the midfielder before he packed his bags for Germany, remain keen on securing the youngster's signature, as do, according to various reports, Premier League rivals Liverpool. However, United might stand a better chance of signing Bellingham than their rivals because Murtough has 'struck up a friendship' with the player's father in recent years.

It is claimed that they remain 'close', meaning United could fancy their chances of getting a deal done. The England international scored for Dortmund against Manchester City in the Champions League last week.

Meanwhile, United could move for Barcelona striker Antoine Griezmann in the January transfer window. That is according to a report published by The Athletic, who state that the Frenchman faces an 'uncertain future' in Spain.

The versatile forward, who is currently on loan at