Manchester City are fighting an uphill battle to stop Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham from joining Real Madrid, according to The Sun.

The English tabloid claims that the European champions are now at the front of the queue to sign the England international, with City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United trailing in their wake.

Bellingham is likely to be made available by Dortmund for around £87m next summer but it is thought that Premier League teams, including the Citizens, would have to “blow any bid” from Real “out of the water” for him to choose a move back to England instead.

It remains to be seen if City are prepared to go all-in to sign the 19-year-old. While his reported asking price shouldn’t be a problem, it appears they may also have to offer generous personal terms in order to ward off other potential suitors.

Many believe that Bellingham is a generational talent so Director of Football Txiki Begiristain and the club’s hierarchy may feel the investment is worth it.