Paul Scholes makes Manchester United transfer prediction about Jude Bellingham

Paul Scholes believes Manchester United have a good chance of signing Jude Bellingham, but thinks they will ultimately lose out to a European rival.

Speculation about the England star’s future has ramped up after Liverpool’s withdrawal from the race for his signature. The Manchester Evening News reported in December that United were open to a pursuit of Bellingham.

United are searching for a striker this summer with Harry Kane the top target. Erik ten Hag is also after a midfielder albeit may view Bellingham as too much of an expense given the other areas of the squad that need bolstering.

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However, Scholes believes United are in a promising position to land Bellingham should they choose to launch a pursuit, although Real Madrid could be the lucky winners of the transfer chase.

Asked whether United are contenders to land the 19-year-old on BT Sport, he said: “I think they are. I think if you’d have gone back a couple of years you’d have said absolutely no chance, or even to the start of this season - the start we had wasn’t really good - but now I think they have to be.

“Looking at this team now he’ll think this is a team that are up and coming for the next couple of years. I do think he’ll sign for Real Madrid - I don’t know why, I’ve just got that feeling.

“Hopefully he comes here because this is a team now with someone like Bellingham and his goals in the middle of the pitch, I think he could make United a proper team.”

Owen Hargreaves, also on punditry duty for BT Sport, added: “If he looks at it personally, he looks at Casemiro and he looks at [Bruno] Fernandes, with Bellingham in between, he could be thinking ‘that could be me.’

"But, I’m with Scholesy, once Real Madrid