Liverpool are reportedly interested in raiding Borussia Dortmund for teenage sensation Jude Bellingham next summer.
The Reds lost one of their key cogs in midfield in Georginio Wijnaldum this summer, with the Dutchman joining Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain following the expiry of his contract at Anfield. And with Xherdan Shaqiri also swapping Anfield for Lyon, the Merseysiders have prioritised reinforcing their midfield next summer after investing only on a defender in this past transfer window.
According to Daily Star, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admires Jude Bellingham since his Birmingham City days and will try raiding his former club Borussia Dortmund for their highly-rated midfielder.
A product of the Birmingham City academy, Jude Bellingham, 18, became the club’s youngest ever first-team player to make his senior debut in August 2019 at 16-years-old. After impressing in the Championship for Birmingham City in what was his breakthrough campaign, he signed for Borussia Dortmund for £25million and has since grown in stature by leaps and bounds.
The central midfielder’s dazzling performances in the Bundesliga have also seen him become a part of the senior England squad under Gareth Southgate, thereby, establishing himself as one of the most exciting young talents in European football.
Bellingham is a huge fan of Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard and claimed he would like to swap shirts with his boyhood idol if given an opportunity, hinting at a possible transfer to Liverpool.
Jude Bellingham to Liverpool—A strong midfield option for Jurgen Klopp?
As opposed to the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and even Arsenal, Liverpool signed just one player in the summer transfer window by agreeing to pay Ibrahima Konate’s £36m release clause. While they promoted the talented Harvey Elliott into their first-team fold, he lacks experience and needs to be managed well by Klopp.
With Jordan Henderson and James Milner in their 30’s, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain injury prone and Thiago Alcantara yet to live up to his stellar reputation at Anfield, the Reds must invest heavily into revamping their midfield unit next summer. In that regard, signing Jude Bellingham would be a step in the right direction for the Merseyside club.
Bellingham, a highly-rated English talent, exceeded all expectations in his debut campaign with Dortmund, registering four goals and five assists in 46 appearances across all competitions. The English midfielder has started the new campaign very well with a goal and two assists in three Bundesliga games.
A box-to-box midfielder, Jude Bellingham possesses an excellent passing range, can open up tight defences with his vision and likes to get into the box and chip in with crucial goals. He is no slouch defensively and never shies away from jumping into tackles and challenges. At just 18, the England international, who boasts of a wealth of first-team experience with the number of games he’s played since 2019, will add some much-needed freshness and youthful exuberance to the Reds’ midfield.
Considering the potential and the ability that Bellingham possesses, a move for a generational talent like him will always appeal to a club of Liverpool’s stature, and thus, Klopp must not hesitate to splash big on him to solve his midfield conundrum in 2022.
