Jude Bellingham transfer could help Manchester United change their image

When Birmingham City announced the decision to retire Jude Bellingham's No.22 shirt on July 23, 2020, the Championship club immediately found itself under the microscope, but not for reasons they would have hoped for.

They were mocked, ridiculed and football supporters all over the world were perplexed by their decision to retire the shirt number of a player that had made just 44 senior appearances. Less than two years on, nobody is laughing now.

His move to Borussia Dortmund has made a fool of anyone that mocked Birmingham's decision, while it has also left egg on the face of anyone that questioned the German club's decision to invest £25million in a 17-year-old that had only ever experienced the buzz of scoring goals against the likes of Cardiff City and Charlton Athletic. That is because his time at Dortmund — which is now only a few months away from reaching its second anniversary — has showcased to the world what an exciting, outstanding talent he is.

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Bellingham, of course, was a top target for Manchester United before he followed in Jadon Sancho's footsteps in joining Dortmund. United had been long-term admirers of the teenager and were determined to lay their hands on him — so much so that he even met with Sir Alex Ferguson and was given a tour of the club's training ground at Carrington, just a couple of weeks before the UK was plunged into its first Covid-19 lockdown.

Although United missed out on signing Bellingham in the summer of 2020, with Dortmund proving to be his preferred destination, they have remained keen on securing his signature ever since. He is an outstanding talent and the fact that he is highly likely to represent