What Birmingham City owner Tom Wagner said about Jude Bellingham - Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe may not like it | OneFootball

Blues' owner issued a recently strong claim regarding the club's academy graduate

Birmingham City owner Tom Wagner has not been afraid to showcase his ambitions for the future of the West Midlands outfit, as they look to make significant strides of progress whilst being bankrolled by his millions.

Blues have been transformed in so many ways under the American hedge fund investor since his firm, Knighthead Capital Management, completed an initial takeover in July 2023 - one which was fully completed in November 2025, removing any remnants of controversial previous ownership groups.

In the 12 years which were sandwiched between Birmingham's most recent relegation from the Premier League in May 2011 and Wagner's initial investment, the cash wasn't exactly free-flowing at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, and when it was, for a brief period, the Second City club were subsequently punished by the EFL for breaching financial regulations.

As such, investment in the playing squad was extremely limited, leaving a plethora of managers and head coaches to work on a shoestring budget, as well as promoting from within the youth setup at Wast Hills.

As a club, Blues have, like any other, seen their fair share of academy graduates make a name for themselves in B9 before going on to achieve bigger and better things, such is their ability and future potential.

However, it is none other than Jude Bellingham who has, and will continue to lead the way on this particular front, with it still being just a handful of years since the current Real Madrid and England sensation became the club's youngest-ever player under Pep Clotet.

Despite his own personal rise to stardom, which he often gives Blues plenty of credit for, the mutual feeling of love between the two parties has not diminished one bit, as showcased with the 22-year-old's recent involvement in helping unveil the Championship side's upcoming 'Powerhouse' stadium, after which Wagner made a bold claim that would certainly be questioned by some of world football's other top names.

Tom Wagner issued recent 'best in the world' claim on ex-Birmingham City star Jude Bellingham

During his one season within Blues' first-team fold, it quickly became apparent that Bellingham, who was aged just 16 at the time, was destined for better things than what his boyhood club could offer at the time.

Indeed, after 44 appearances and four goals scored in the 2019/20 campaign, the Stourbridge-born midfielder was sold to Borussia Dortmund for an initial £25m.

Birmingham then took the decision to retire his number 22 at St. Andrew's - a move which was largely mocked at the time - whilst the current Three Lions ace also said: "it's not a goodbye, it's a 'see you later'," within a heartfelt social media post.

Bellingham has since gone from strength to strength, eventually signing for the Galacticos in an initial deal worth €103m on a six-year contract, with Blues pocketing north of £10m from said deal due to a sell-on clause.

The box-to-box midfielder has since gone on to rack up over 115 appearances and 40 strikes for the Spanish giants, and has already won La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, as well as scoring two winners in El Clásico clashes against FC Barcelona.

Despite often being the subject of criticism, which saw him omitted from Thomas Tuchel's England squad in October, Wagner has no doubt that Bellingham is currently the best player in world football.

"I think Jude is the greatest player on the planet today and we haven't seen anywhere near his full potential yet," said Wagner on November 20th.

"Not just as a player on the pitch but also what he can do for the community.

"And so if we can provide him a platform to achieve his full potential then it's a great story," the American responded when asked about the potential of a Blues-themed reunion later in Bellingham's career.

"It's a great coming home story. It's a great Birmingham story, it's a great England story."

Tom Wagner, Jude Bellingham verdict could cause potential Real Madrid, FC Barcelona disagreement

Not only did Wagner's comments spark plenty of discourse over a potential future return to the Midlands for Bellingham, who issued an intriguing reaction when told the Powerhouse is set to be completed in the next five years, many also reacted to whether such claims are true.

The American's verdict, of course, is likely to be influenced by a hint of bias, as Bellingham's teammate, Kylian Mbappé, and Barcelona sensation, Lamine Yamal, would have something to say about that.

Of course, all three offer differing attributes and feature in completely different roles, so a full comparison is particularly unfair, as well as the fact that Yamal, whilst he is ripping up La Liga and the international stage, is only 18 years of age.

However, one thing cannot be argued, and that is just how much of an inspiration Bellingham continues to be for young footballers in the West Midlands, with thousands upon thousands hoping to enjoy a similar career path.