Borussia Dortmund’s ‘plan to keep Jude Bellingham includes a 150 per cent wage increase’ amid Liverpool interest

Borussia Dortmund are reportedly working on a “secret plan” to keep Jude Bellingham at the club with a 150 per cent pay rise in a bid to fend off interest from Real Madrid, Liverpool and Man City.

England sensation Bellingham is set to be one of the most sought-after players this summer after his remarkable rise to the top – with the teenager coming to the fore after an impressive World Cup in Qatar – and Dortmund are now pulling out all the stops to persuade him to stay.

Dortmund’s sporting director Sebastian Kehl plans to invite the player and his father Mark over to offer him a deal that would see him at Signal Iduna Park for at least another season, according to German newspaper Bild.

The German team would lure Bellingham with an offer of £13m a season – making him the highest-paid player in the club’s history, the report adds – but in return the 19-year-old would be offered a release clause of £131m.

That would allow Dortmund to rake in a big fee and give clubs a perfect opportunity to snap him up.

Borussia Dortmund boss Sebastian Kehl (R) is reportedly hatching a ‘secret plan’ to keep Jude Bellingham (L) for another year

The reported proposal sees Bellingham offering a 150 per cent wage increase – in exchange for a £131million release clause

It would also mean the likes of Madrid, Liverpool and City would be dealt a major blow, forcing them to wait even longer to secure their prized asset.

The report adds that a summer departure for Bellingham is “much more likely” as Europe’s top clubs will “try everything” to persuade him to leave – claiming Real Madrid remain the favorites to lure him away.

However, it goes on to say that a move to Los Blancos in the summer will largely depend on whether the club decide to offer Toni Kroos or Luka Modric a new deal. Both players see their contracts expire at the end of the season.

Should both players remain at the Bernabeu, Dortmund’s chances of keeping Bellingham for another season would ‘increase’, with their ‘secret plan’ possibly coming into play.

Bellingham, who has nine goals and five assists for Dortmund in all competitions this season, started both of England’s games during the international break. He played 85 minutes in the 2-1 win over Italy and 86 minutes in the 2-0 win over Ukraine on Sunday.

Liverpool – managed by Jurgen Klopp (L) – are one of the front runners, as is Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid

After the last game, Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard was full of praise for the player, saying he was “further” than he was at the same age.

“Well for one thing he’s got a better body at 19,” joked Gerrard while Bellingham stood next to him on the touchline.

“I never had that strength until 22 or 23, he’s more developed physically. He’s more confident on the ball. I’m not just humble. He’s further than me at the same age.

“He’s in a fantastic place and needs to keep playing well.”

Bellingham told Gerrard he modeled his game on him as a kid, saying: “The things Stevie could do, how he could carry a team – I’ve said it several times, I follow your game.

Bellingham played for England this week as he started both wins against Italy and Ukraine

Steven Gerrard told Bellingham he was “further on” than he was when he was the same age

“I think I still have so much to learn. I want to win the game on both ends, as 6, 8 and 10. I want to create chances and do a little bit of everything.

“You have the best chance with the boys in this dressing room (England), I’m like a sponge at the moment.”

He was heavily tipped to follow in Gerrard’s footsteps by joining Liverpool this summer, but after Madrid defeated them in a 6-2 aggregate Champions League knockout.

He told BT Sport Studio: “I just think when he looks at this tonight he’s sitting there thinking, ‘If Real Madrid play me and Liverpool there’s only one place I can go’ – and she [Liverpool] might not finish as well in the Champions League.

“As a player – nothing to do with my loyalty to United or Liverpool – you look at it coldly and say: ‘I see more trophies here [at Madrid]”.”