June 15th 2024.
Frank Lampard recently revealed that he had visited Chelsea's training ground before joining Borussia Dortmund. He also shared that he believes Chelsea missed out on signing Jude Bellingham in 2020 due to their inability to guarantee him an immediate starting role at the club.
At the time, Bellingham had caught the attention of several top clubs in Europe, including Chelsea, after showcasing his talent as one of the most promising players in the world. As the competition for his signature heated up, the then-teenage midfielder visited Chelsea's training base in Cobham.
However, Bellingham eventually made a £25million move from Birmingham to Borussia Dortmund, becoming the most expensive 17-year-old in the history of the game. It was reported that other top clubs such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich had also attempted to sign him before Dortmund won the race.
Bellingham quickly established himself as a key player for Dortmund and helped the club win the German cup in the 2020/21 season. He was also named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season for two consecutive years. His impressive performances in Germany earned him an £88.5m move to Real Madrid last summer, where he had a remarkable debut season, scoring 23 goals in 42 appearances as Los Blancos won La Liga, the Champions League, and the Spanish Super Cup.
As England prepares for Euro 2024, the hopes of the nation are centered around Bellingham's performances in Germany. Lampard, who now works as a pundit for Sky Sports, spoke highly of Bellingham and shared insights into Chelsea's pursuit of the midfielder four years ago.
He recalled trying to convince Bellingham and his family to join Chelsea by highlighting the club's track record of giving young players, such as Mason Mount and Reece James, a chance to play. However, he believes that Bellingham's decision to join Dortmund was influenced by his desire to play regularly and challenge himself in a new environment.
Lampard also praised Bellingham's extraordinary debut season in Spain and expressed that he was not surprised by his success. His fellow pundit, Jamie Redknapp, also commented on Bellingham's impact, calling it "unprecedented" in the game.
Redknapp was impressed by how Bellingham handled the pressure and his cool demeanor on the pitch, even at such a young age. England head coach Gareth Southgate also shared his confidence in Bellingham's ability to handle the pressure, but stressed the importance of the team's collective effort in winning the tournament.
As England prepares for their Euro 2024 opener against Serbia, Southgate believes that Bellingham's mentality and impact will be valuable for the team, but they cannot rely on one player alone. He also mentioned that the team has not had their full lineup together in the past few games, making it a collective effort to win the tournament.
In the end, despite Chelsea's missed opportunity to sign Bellingham, Lampard and the rest of the football world can only admire and applaud the young midfielder's remarkable rise to success.
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