Bayer Leverkusen CEO Carro: Our Attempt to Sign Bellingham Before Dortmund

Last year, Bellingham made a move from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid.

But Carro says they were beaten by Dortmund to a 16 year-old Bellingham when he was leaving Birmingham City.

He told BILD: “Simon Rolfes really wanted him. Bellingham was 16 at the time. We watched his videos with Rudi Völler and we were all delighted.

"We also had the approval of our shareholders’ committee to be able to pay a transfer fee of up to a certain amount for him, but Birmingham asked for double that and that’s why we didn’t do it.”