Key issue touted as to why £20m Man Utd bid for 16-year-old starlet turned down

Man Utd have reportedly had a £20m offer for Jude Bellingham rejected by Birmingham City due to the way their offer was structured.

The Red Devils have already landed a marquee signing this week as they officially unveiled Bruno Fernandes on Thursday to give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer an important reinforcement.

SEE MORE: Done deal: Man Utd confirm deadline day signing, starlet pens two-and-a-half-year contract

However, as reported by the Daily Mail, via ESPN, it has been suggested that they also tried to prise Bellingham away from Birmingham too.

Unfortunately for the Premier League giants, they were unsuccessful in their pursuit of the 16-year-old, as per the report above, as it’s claimed that the offer would see the Blues initiallyreceive just £8.5m.

It’s added that the Championship outfit want more for their 16-year-old prized asset up front, and so that has seemingly led to the breakdown over a possible switch to Old Trafford for the talented youngster this month.

With time running out before the January transfer deadline, it remains to be seen whether or not talks continue in the summer, as Bellingham has seemingly attracted interest from United with his form so far this season.

The teenager has made 27 appearances already this campaign as he has established himself as a key figure for Birmingham City, while he’s chipped in with four goals and an assist.

With Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seemingly targeting talented young players to build with a long-term future in mind at Man Utd, Bellingham seemingly ticks all the right boxes and so time will tell whether or not the two parties are able to negotiate a deal and reach a compromise on the finer details in the future.