Darren Bent has urged Liverpool to ‘go and get’ sought-after teenage superstar Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund next summer.
The former Sunderland striker wasn’t the only one thinking that Liverpool need the 19-year-old because Ian Wright thinks Jurgen Klopp could do with the player given their current issues.
On Tuesday night, Bellingham scored for his fourth consecutive Champions League game in a row to help Dortmund secure a valuable point against Sevilla.
Despite still being in his teenage years, Bellingham is producing performances that will probably make him the most sought-after player in world football in 2023.
Liverpool have been long-admirers of the player, but given their current situation where they are sitting tenth in the Premier League table, they have a fight on their hands to secure his signature.
That was touched upon by Darren Bent and Ian Wright, who think that the Reds need to make sure they secure a top-four finish, before thinking about the bigger picture with Bellingham next summer, as they told Premier League Productions (10/10/22 at 2:20 pm).
The recruitment from Liverpool has been very good,” said Bent. “But this might be the one time, in January and at the end of the season where they probably have to come away from that, then go and get someone like a Jude Bellingham.”
Wright added: “Also with that, you have to understand for Jude Bellingham the next move, he is now captain of Dortmund. His next move has got to be the one. We are talking about being linked with Real Madrid and Liverpool. He could literally go to any team. We are looking at a Liverpool side that are in a transitional period.
They need to get into the Champions League even to have a thought of thinking that you can approach someone like Jude Bellingham. Their focus has to be on getting into the Champions League.
“Jude Bellingham. He has the pick of the greatest, at the moment. It’s how you sell Liverpool to him. You are going to need other players to get alongside him and say ‘we are going to get back to this because we have Nunez who is going to kick on…’. How are you going to entice him against a Man City who can say ‘look at what we have got?’ Real Madrid can say ‘look at what we have got’.
Real Madrid have an unbelievable young roster. You are talking about a team that could probably dominate for the next ten years if they can get it right. Liverpool now are in a very precarious position. This is why I just want Liverpool to focus on getting into the top four.”
GUARDIOLA HAILS ‘EXCEPTIONAL’ BELLINGHAM
There isn’t a coach in the world who wouldn’t want Bellingham on their books and someone like Pep Guardiola would be no different.
The Manchester City boss has worked with the best of the best during his trophy-laden career, and even though Dortmund were beaten 2-1 at the Etihad last month in the Champions League, he labelled the midfielder as ‘exceptional’, as he told his press conference.
Either way, Bellingham comes across as a driven character, he turned away from the bright lights of the Premier League when he was leaving Birmingham City and he made the brave call to move to Germany.
It has done his career wonders, and whilst there is talk of him moving next summer, given that he is still in his teenage years, perhaps staying put would still be the best thing for him.
