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Steven Gerrard backs Liverpool to land Jude Bellingham despite serious interest from Real Madrid

The 19-year-old midfield wunderkind is unquestionably one of the top talents of any age bracket in Europe, with his next move potentially making or breaking a sensational young career to date


England starlet Jude Bellingham has risen to become one of the hottest properties anywhere in Europe after a sublime spell with German giants Borussia Dortmund during a rapid rise that has taken him to the academy center at Birmingham City to man of the match performances in front of Die Gelbe Wand and Dortmund’s famous Südtribune.

His rise to prominence was always going to take him to even bigger heights than the Ruhr Valley, however. Despite Dortmund’s size and stature as a footballing institution, not just in Germany but across the continent as well, Bellingham is destined for big things after unanimously being considered as one of the top young players in Europe of any position, with global superpowers the likes of Real Madrid prepared to vie for his services.

Though the chance to ply your trade at the hallowed ground that is the Santiago Bernabeu, Premier League giants Liverpool continue to be linked with a serious interest in the 19-year-old central talisman, with Bellingham remaining their top priority in the summer as the Reds look to revamp their midfield under Jürgen Klopp.

According to quotes by Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Anfield iconic figure Steven Gerrard feels as though Bellingham is tailor-made to continue his career back in England while offering Liverpool precisely what the club is lacking in the 8 role.

Separate from Gerrard’s quotes, Plettenberg also postulated that he personally sees the England international arriving at Liverpool over Real Madrid due to the real need the Reds have for his services; something that the Spanish giants cannot match.

Despite losing Luka Modrić in the upcoming summer after his contract expires, Madrid still boasts Toni Kroos, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Federico Valverde, as well as a resurgent Dani Ceballos of sorts.

By comparison, Liverpool is set to lose both Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain and James Milner in the summer, Naby Keïta is perpetually dealing with fitness concerns and also may be jettisoned, and veteran pair Jordan Henderson and Thiago are both already on the wrong side of 30, with Fabinho close behind. That leaves the Reds with just Curtis Jones and Stefan Bajcetic as the only true, long-term central options on the books on Merseyside, with Bellingham all but guaranteed to walk straight into Klopp’s XI should he fancy a return to the nation of his birth.

Questions can be asked about how Liverpool would afford the possible £120 - or more - it might take to prize him away from Dortmund, and that aspect may well fall on whether or not the club secures new ownership, either in part or full, and an injection of capital that would give them the necessary spending power in the summer. But should Liverpool pull off a deal, the club would finally be able to boast a player of unquestionably proven quality at the highest level that they could hopefully rely on for years to come.

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Andrew Thompson

US-based Football writer. German football guru with a wealth of experience in youth development and analysis. Data aficionado. Happily championing the notion that Americans have a knowledgeable voice in the beautiful game.


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