Jude Bellingham: Birmingham City hopeful of professional deal in June
- Published
Jude Bellingham won the EFL Young Player of the Month award for November
Birmingham City are hopeful 16-year-old midfielder Jude Bellingham will sign a professional contract with the Championship club this summer.
Under Football Association rules,, external Bellingham - who is Blues' youngest ever player - can only sign a full-time deal when he turns 17 in June.
The England Under-17 international has been linked with Manchester United., external
He is also watched regularly by Premier League and European scouts, and Blues have had several enquiries about him.
Bellingham is managed by his family and it is understood they are happy with how he is progressing at St Andrew's.
He has played 24 times for Birmingham this season, scoring four goals, and won the EFL Young Player of the Month award for November.
Bellingham broke club legend Trevor Francis' record, set in 1970, as Blues' youngest first-team player when he started the Carabao Cup first-round match against Portsmouth in August at the age of 16 years 38 days.
His goal against Stoke later that month saw him break another of Francis' records and become Birmingham's youngest scorer.