Liverpool are pushing for a move for Jude Bellingham this year, seemingly narrowing all avenues down to a singular channel in order to complete an acquisition that could represent a watershed moment for the club’s trajectory, and must now ensure the maestro’s name is secured.
In a saga that threatens to dominate the paper talk for the remainder of the campaign, Borussia Dortmund’s Bellingham has been heavily touted with a move away from the Bundesliga this season, with Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid all vying for his signature alongside Jurgen Klopp’s Reds.
However, recent reports claim that Liverpool are indeed the frontrunners to land the gem, with Sky Sports Germany correspondent Florian Plettenberg tweeting to offer an update on the Merseyside outfit’s stance.
He said on Sunday: “LFC: As reported and now confirmed via #Klopp: Nothing will happen in this transfer window. Gakpo in January. Now full focus on top target Bellingham for summer!”
A leaf from Newcastle’s book…
The 19-year-old Bellingham , who is valued at €150m (£132m) by the Yellow Wall, according to Sky Sports Germany, has indeed emerged as a “generational talent” over the past few years – as hailed by Raphael Honigstein – having made 114 appearances and won the DFB Pokal for his outfit since arriving from boyhood club Birmingham City for £25m at just 17-years-old.
Roy Keane, a former pro who knows a thing or two about flourishing as an all-embracing midfielder at the zenith of the Premier League, remarked over Bellingham’s burgeoning rise.
“ He’s going to be a superstar that kid. We keep using the word but maturity, he plays like he’s played 100 times for England.
“I’ve not seen a young midfielder perform like that for years. His maturity, his decision making, which is huge for a midfielder, the kid has everything.”
Will Liverpool sign Bellingham?
Yes
No
And as per FBref, the “scary” talent, as once dubbed by Manchester City’s Jack Grealish, ranks among the top 4% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for rate of goals and the top 12% for rate of assists.
Also within the top 3% for dribbles completed and 13% for progressive passes, it illustrates his transitional nature that would fortify the Anfield ranks and replenish a midfield devoid of energy and inspiration.
Liverpool’s pursuit of the £49k-per-week dynamo offers shades of Newcastle United’s acquisition of Bruno Guimaraes, who arrived at St. James’ Park for £40m in January 2021 to transcend the club’s fortunes and serve as the catalyst for a new, prosperous era.
Newcastle, who were facing the peril of relegation from the Premier League when the opulent owners took the reins, swiftly moved into action and secured the Brazilian engine to charge the resurgence, indeed to emphatic success.
His average match rating of 7.25 – as per Sofascore – over the latter stage of the campaign, was paramount to the shifting of momentum, threading the team together with five goals, an 86% pass success rate, 0.7 key passes and 2.3 tackles per game.
His dynamic level of brilliance is a perfect representation of Bellingham’s own arsenal, and among the abundant quality that lays dormant within Anfield at present, the 22-cap English virtuoso holds the key to unlocking the door.
Liverpool appear to be heaping emphasis on a transfer market manoeuvre for one of the global game’s most coveted young stars, and by completing a deal to spearhead the charge and provide a sheen unseen at the club, much like at Newcastle with Guimaraes, stability could not only be reinstated, but surpassed to new heights.
