Man City might have secret weapon to clinch Jude Bellingham transfer

Next summer Manchester City could be presented with a midfield conundrum and by now they should know how to solve it.

In Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Rodri, City have arguably the best midfield unit in club football. No other team in the world can claim to have three No.8s of such quality, while only a handful can argue that they have a defensive midfielder better than Rodri.

However, eventually time catches up with every footballer, particularly midfielders. The position is perhaps the most physically and mentally demanding on the pitch, with only a select few — Luka Modric being the obvious example — able to keep playing at an elite level into their late 30s.

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Next month Gundogan will turn 32, his current contract set to expire at the end of the season. Given the injury issues he's had during his career he might not have long left at the elite level.

At 31, De Bruyne is at the peak of his powers, but it stands to reason that the explosive element of his game might start to wane in the next few years. While Bernardo only recently turned 28, he still harbours ambitions of playing his football a little closer to home, most likely at Barcelona.

Next summer could well be the summer City have to act to rejuvenate their midfield and keep Pep Guardiola's side competing for titles on all fronts. If the last two weeks have taught us anything, it is that Jude Bellingham should be City's prime transfer target.

The 19-year-old — it's scarcely believable he's still a teenager given his quality and maturity — was superb in City's 2-1 defeat of Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on 14th September. Aside