Frank Lampard reveals he tried to sign Jude Bellingham at Chelsea and was ‘desperate’ to land the star… but claims the Blues ‘didn’t want to pay £20m’ for the teenager

• Frank Lampard has claimed that he tried to sign Jude Bellingham at Chelsea
• However, he claims that the board didn’t want to pay £20million asking price  
• Chris Sutton: ‘How my son nearly died’ – Listen to It’s All Kicking Off podcast

Frank Lampard has revealed that he tried to sign Jude Bellingham whilst at Chelsea but club chiefs were reluctant to pay his asking price at the time. 

Bellingham, 20, has been a sensation since swapping Borussia Dortmund for Real Madrid this summer in a deal worth up to £113million.

The Birmingham City academy graduate has scored 13 goals in his 14 appearances thus far, as he continues to go from strength to strength in his playing career. 

However, things could have been very different for Bellingham, who was supposedly  a target for Chelsea during the early years of his career. 

During a recent appearance on the Obi One Podcast, Lampard revealed that he tried to sign the midfielder whilst in charge of the west London giants. 

Frank Lampard has claimed that he tried to sign Jude Bellingham (above) whilst at Chelsea

Lampard suggested the Chelsea board were reluctant to make the signing for the teenager

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Lampard said: ‘When I was managing at Chelsea (first time) I was desperate to bring Jude Bellingham in.

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

Lampard was in charge of Chelsea from July 2019 up until January 2021, after the Blues’ shaky form saw them sitting ninth in the Premier League table. 

Bellingham had not made his senior debut for Birmingham when Lampard took charge but went on to play a starring role during the 2019-20 campaign – which is likely where he caught the Chelsea boss’ attention. 

Despite Chelsea’s interest, Bellingham went on to complete a £25million move to Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund in 2020 – which was a record-breaking figure for a 17-year-old.

While Chelsea have made a habit of signing young talents with big potential since the arrival of Todd Boehly in May 2022, it was less of a requirement under previous owner Roman Abramovich. 

Instead, during Lampard’s tenure, the Blues signed established players such as Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz and Edouard Mendy. 

It’s proved to be a costly oversight for the Blues, after Bellingham claimed the prestigious Kopa Trophy during the recent Ballon d’Or award ceremony.  

Bellingham was playing in the Championship with Birmingham when Lampard was interested

The England international has gone to reach heights such as claiming the Kopa Trophy 2023

Bellingham is currently preparing for Real Madrid’s upcoming Champions League clash against Braga on Wednesday night, however remains a doubt due to injury.

During their recent 0-0 draw with Rayo Vallecano, he suffered a shoulder injury and was seen with heavy strapping after the game. 

Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti said: ‘Bellingham has a problem with his shoulder. He will undergo medical tests tomorrow. I hope he can play on Wednesday against Braga.’ 

There will now be a nervous wait for the white side of Madrid as they must see if the damage done to Bellingham will be lasting, or if he can still play against Braga. 

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