Manchester United icon Bryan Robson revealed in a blog about Jude Bellingham how United’s desperate attempts to sign the England player before he left for Germany at the age of 17 failed.

“He has it all: athleticism, stature, vision, and skill.” “I can’t tell you how disappointed I was when he refused to join Manchester United,” Robson wrote.

“When I saw him in Birmingham, I knew he was going to be a great player.” With Sir Alex Ferguson, Eric Cantona, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, I met him and his parents, Mark and Denise. We tried everything we could to persuade him to come, but he ultimately selected Borussia Dortmund.”

The article, which has been expanded by The Athletic, has revealed tensions between the Premier League club’s football director, John Murtough, and its renowned former manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.

It was an internal feud that shook the foundations of Old Trafford after he failed to persuade the player, who is now under contract with Real Madrid, to sign for them in 2020.

In March 2020, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United’s manager at the time, requested the recruitment of Bellingham, who, at the age of 16, was already making a reputation for himself at Birmigham City in the Championship.

The Red Devils’ board of directors and the Norwegian coach arranged for the English midfielder and his family to visit the club’s training base at Carrington to learn firsthand about the player’s aspirations and meet with his entourage.

Solskjaer and his coaching staff planned a lengthy presentation to persuade Bellingham, and the cherry on top would be Ferguson’s attendance to persuade the player. Murtough, on the other hand, did not want Ferguson and Bellingham to talk because he wanted to close the deal himself.

Only days later did the Scot realize what had occurred, and he was enraged, demanding an explanation during a verbal confrontation with Murtough. He denied avoiding scheduling the meeting and attributed it to a misunderstanding.

Pep Clotet, another pivotal character in his career who spotted Bellingham in Birmingham, commented of his amazing mental strength despite his young age. “One day, the director announced, ‘Jude will not be here today because we have allowed him to attend a meeting with Manchester United.'” “However, Jude ended up refusing to miss any training,” Clotet explained.

A short time later, United would schedule another meeting to ensure that the player did not miss any club obligations. Despite numerous attempts to persuade him, including an enormous compensation, the sporting enterprise was always victorious.

Bellingham packed his belongings shortly after signing for Dortmund for 29 million in the summer of 2020. The current Madrid star would become the most expensive player in history at the age of 17 and would go on to lead the Signal Iduna Park project for the next three years before moving to Spain in July.