by Manchester City have reportedly seen their pursuit of Jude Bellingham bolstered due to Pep Guardiola signing a new contract at the club.
Guardiola, who put pen to paper on a new two-year deal at City, will now be at the club until the end of the 2024/25 season. According to 90min, this news has seen their chances of signing Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund drastically increase.
They report that the England star’s chance to play for Guardiola is a huge draw for Bellingham. It is also thought that the City’s manager’s contract renewal was a key part of the club’s transfer policy going forward, as the reputation that the 51-year-old carries can make all the difference when rivalling other sides to the top signings in Europe.
With Bellingham set to make a decision on his future after the World Cup, City will no doubt be buoyed by the 19-year-old’s start for England. Yet the Blues already know first-hand just how well the Black and Yellows star can play, having scored at the Etihad this season during a Champions League group stage clash.
Elsewhere, Spanish outlet Fichajes report that City have promised Guardiola that they will pursue a deal for Portugal’s Rafael Leao after he committed to a new deal at the club.
Leao impressed during Portugal’s breathtaking 3-2 win over Ghana on Thursday, as the AC Milan star came off the bench to devastating effect. He calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner in the 80th minute, to score what proved to be the match-winning strike.
Now it seems that the 23-year-old could well be on the way to Manchester, as City look to bolster their attacking options even further, with Erling Haaland potentially set for even better company on the wings in the Premier League.
