‘I Was Desperate’ – Lampard Reveals Chelsea Rejected £20m Deal For Real Madrid’s Bellingham

According to Frank Lampard, during his first stint as Chelsea manager in 2019, he pushed for a £20 million transfer deal to bring Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham to the club.

Lampard, a Chelsea legend, began his managerial career at Stamford Bridge and saw the potential in Bellingham when the English midfielder was gaining recognition at Birmingham. However, Chelsea’s board declined the opportunity, expressing concerns about the substantial price tag for a teenager with limited top-level experience.

“When I was managing at Chelsea (first time) I was desperate to bring Jude Bellingham in,” Lampard shared during a chat in the Obi One Podcast.

“But I couldn’t get it through upstairs – the idea of paying £20m for someone his age (at the time)”

Afterwards, there were reports that Manchester United showed interest in Bellingham, and the club’s legendary manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, personally toured him at the Carrington training complex. This led to a competitive battle between Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund for Bellingham’s signature, with Dortmund ultimately securing the talented young player.

Bellingham made 132 appearances for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga before making a blockbuster move to Real Madrid during the summer in a deal worth €131 million (£114m/$138m). His transition to Los Blancos has been incredibly successful, as he has scored 13 goals in just 14 appearances and was awarded the Kopa Trophy for being the best U21 player of the 2022-23 season.

However, Bellingham’s availability for Real Madrid’s upcoming match is uncertain due to a shoulder injury scare during the game against Rayo Vallecano. Carlo Ancelotti’s team is scheduled to face SC Braga in the Champions League on Wednesday, November 8.