Report: Man City not giving up on Bellingham as Madrid yet to close deal

Real Madrid appear to be ahead of the pack in the race to sign Jude Bellingham but face competition for the talented midfielder.

Madrid have yet to strike a deal, as officials will travel to Germany in the coming days to negotiate with Borussia Dortmund about signing the coveted 19-year-old, according to ESPN's Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez.

Manchester City, however, remain in the hunt despite reports in Spain suggesting the Premier League leaders had dropped out of the race.

It's understood that City officials have doubts about whether Real Madrid and Dortmund can reach an agreement over a transfer fee, Kirkland and Faez report.

It was reported last week that Real Madrid were close to reaching an agreement for Bellingham, but the Spanish club has seemingly struggled to close the deal.

Madrid officials are now hopeful of making further progress on an agreement to sign Bellingham when they meet with Dortmund for "face-to-face" talks, ESPN adds.

Bellingham has seven goals in 30 Bundesliga appearances this season and has emerged as a vital member of Gareth Southgate's England squad.

A successful bid for Bellingham is expected to exceed well over €100 million.

His potential arrival at the Santiago Bernabeu would help Real Madrid in their effort to revitalize their midfield, with ageing stars like Luka Modric and Toni Kroos on the back-end of their respective careers. Madrid have added young midfielders such as Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga in recent years.