Jude Bellingham remains a hot property for Europe's elite and has improved hugely with each passing season in the Bundesliga.
At the age of just 19, the midfielder is already a leader in the Dortmund dressing room and has established himself as a key part of the present and future of England under Gareth Southgate.
With his incredible progression set to take him to greater heights, Bellingham surely won't be short of suitors. Liverpool are now out of the race, so where could he go next?
And more to the point, why should he even go anywhere at all when he's progressing so well?
Jude Bellingham: To sign for before 3rd September 2023 (via Sky Bet)
- Real Madrid - 1/12
- To stay at Dortmund - 9/1
- Manchester City - 14/1
- Liverpool - 25/1
Odds correct at 1210 BST (07/05/23)
Too soon to be Pep's pet project
Bellingham's profile as a midfielder is something that Pep Guardiola lacks at Manchester City.
At Dortmund this season, Bellingham has thrived as an offensive box-to-box player, scoring 10 and assisting seven goals in all competitions, finding the net in all but two of their Champions League group-stage matches.
The transition-oriented nature of the Bundesliga has shaped his game to thrive in space between both boxes, making him a threat as a carrier of the ball, and especially dominant as a dribbler as well.
Concerns over his defensive ability
Despite his all-round style of play, there are valid concerns over Bellingham's ability to defend and his intelligence out of possession to anticipate danger in the middle of the park.
Those concerns are also multiplied by the fact his current role has developed through years of playing in a system that doesn't necessarily favour possession dominance to create meaningful opportunities and limit opposition threat.
Bellingham's 83% pass completion rate ranks him lower than the average top five leagues midfielder according to Opta.
This season, we have seen City become even better at controlling games through technically secure players across all departments and Bellingham is not necessarily that kind of player.
He is used best away from build-up phases and closer to the opposition goal to attempt risky passes or get into goal-scoring positions himself.
Could Pep fix those issues?
On the one hand Guardiola could be the ultimate coach to shape Bellingham into a truly top-class midfielder.
"This guy was something special in terms of his mentality. Now he is 19 and he is already one of the captains. The quality, everybody knows it. The whole package is really good," Guardiola said of Bellingham last year.
But City are rarely patient with players who do not fit the way they play, with Kalvin Phillips bit-part role this season perhaps a good example of that - extenuating injury circumstances aside.
Jack Grealish had to bide his time while his game was adjusted to what Guardiola wanted before becoming a City regular.
Would Bellingham be willing to do the same?
It's very different moving from Dortmund than it is Aston Villa.
Don't leave Dortmund just yet
It's often very easy to forget that Jude Bellingham is only 19 years old.
Dortmund are finally giving Bayern a run for their money in the Bundesliga and Bellingham is a huge reason for that.
He's a leader in the dressing room, the fans loves him and he clearly has a defined role in Edin Terzic's system where he has the freedom to thrive.
Why give all that up so quickly?
Winning the title would be an incredible achievement for the club, bringing to an end Bayern's 10-year reign as champions. Spearheading that charge and potentially competing again next season must be a compelling opportunity.
Financially, it may be tricky for the German club to keep him as his contract runs out in 2025, but for Bellingham's development this summer just feels a year too early.
Pivotal role helping development
Only defender Nico Schlotterbeck (2143) has had more live ball touches for Dortmund this season than Bellingham (1841) and so, with the high volume of touches he enjoys every game, Bellingham is being afforded the opportunity to develop his game.
It means that while yes, his defensive side may be getting neglected, the role Terzic has made for him has allowed him to learn how to hurt opposition defences in a variety of ways.
This is evident in his underlying possession numbers for this season, with the England international ranking in the top ten amongst his positional peers, for each of take-ons attempted, progressive passes and progressive carries, according to Opta.
In a midfield with Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden or whoever else Guardiola decides to select, would Bellingham get anything like as much involvement?
Clearly not.
Real Madrid could work for Jude
Real Madrid and Manchester United are the two other clubs that have been linked with moves for Bellingham.
The European champions have pivoted away from spending big on established names and towards spending big on younger names, having acquired the likes of Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni in recent years so it's not difficult to see why they could attempt to sign Bellingham.
With the likes of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric approaching the end of their peaks, while still being hugely valuable players on and off the pitch, their futures must be addressed.
In terms of his profile, he could be the perfect offensive complement to Tchouameni and Federico Valverde, who are well-known for their defensive strengths and ability out of possession.
Suddenly Bellingham's defensive weaknesses aren't so much of an issue.
And like Dortmund, Madrid thrive in the transition.
He would also have the ability to learn from Kroos and Modric about protecting possession under pressure, and become better at retaining the ball.
But beyond the pointers he'd get from those two, it's hard to see how Bellingham would be able to develop his game at the Bernabeu.
He's a good fit though.
Jude to join Jadon?
Which isn't the case for Erik ten Hag's Manchester United are also a contender.
The club's interest has been long-standing and having already brought in Jadon Sancho from Dortmund, Bellingham is the next target.
How he fits into Ten Hag's team really depends on how the Dutchman chooses to set up his side next season and who else the club ends up bringing in.
Bellingham would work well in a midfield three but in a two, pairing him with someone like Casemiro, does place a lot of onus on his ability as a passer from deep.
He thrives in a freer role, which could mean he occupies the same areas as the mercurial Bruno Fernandes whose place in the starting XI is near untouchable.
Incorporating for Bellingham's strengths at United would mean Ten Hag needs other signings as well, so it is far from straightforward.
At the same time, giving up on signing a player of his talents may count as a big miss for the club in the years to come and with a potential new owner on the horizon, Bellingham could be a the marquee signing they want.
Right now though it's hard to see exactly where he'd fit.