Birmingham are confident wonderkid Jude Bellingham will not push to leave in January.
The 16-year-old has been a revelation since breaking into the first-team and several suitors are already circling St Andrew’s.
The Second City club cannot offer the teen star a professional contract until his next birthday in June – and are already holding a string of interested parties at bay as the £145-a-week scholar fast-tracks his footballing education in the Championship.
Some of the biggest names in Europe have been attending matches to see what the fuss is about and it is understood two significant enquries have been received.
Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have both been in contact while Arsenal and Manchester United are regular visitors to St Andrew’s.
However, there is no push from the Bellingham camp for the boyhood Bluenose to move on – and that will be crucial as contract talks intensify during the coming months.
Sources close to the family have indicated that the player’s dad, Mark Bellingham, a prolific scorer during his days as a forward in the non-league, recognises that as long as his son is happy and developing by playing first-team football that there is no need to chase big money.
Bellingham has also rejected several moves by big-name agents – all of whom are scrambling over themselves to be appointed as the youngster’s representatives.
(Image: TIM EASTHOPE/BIRMINGHAM MAIL)
However, as June approaches the battle is sure to intensify for a player who has already made 23 first-team appearances for the club and who is so highly-regarded that he was rested by boss Pep Clotet for yesterday’s FA Cup clash against Blackburn.
Meanwhile, however, further bad news is on the horizon as the club’s accounts are expected to be released this week.
Birmingham were docked nine points for their irregularities with Financial Fair Play last season and although the slate has been wiped clean – clubs can lose up to £39m in any three-year period – the club is expected to post substantial eight-figure losses.
This will only serve to ramp up the pressure on boss Clotet and hapless de-facto chief executive Xuandong Ren who has overseen a calamitous cash-burn since assuming control three years ago.
