Arsenal were close to signing Jude Bellingham for just £500,000, according to the Daily Mail.
The initial scouting report on Bellingham has been made public. It highlights the midfielder’s abilities while he was still with his hometown team, Birmingham City.
Bellingham was reportedly approached by Arsenal when he was competing at the U14 level.
A £500,000 compensation package was needed to seal the deal, and the Gunners were prepared to provide it.
But an “unexpected delay” caused the relocation to fail, and Bellingham went on to reach a deal with Birmingham.
Bellingham finally transferred to Borussia Dortmund in 2020. In the summer of 2023, he completed a €103 million move to Real Madrid.