Your morning Liverpool headlines on Wednesday, December 21.
Jude Bellingham transfer latest as Rio Ferdinand makes plea to Liverpool and Manchester United target
Ex-Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has pleaded with Jude Bellingham to sign for Manchester United.
The Borussia Dortmund midfielder continues to be linked with Liverpool, along with Manchester City and Real Madrid, though Erik ten Hag's side will also be holding out hope that Bellingham could be Old Trafford-bound.
Liverpool are currently viewed as the frontrunners to complete a deal, though only time will tell regarding whether or not the teenager ends up at Anfield. Ferdinand has no doubt in his mind as to where he wants to see Bellingham continue his footballing journey, urging the 19-year-old to 'come home' to United.
"Jude Bellingham has been a phenomenon at the World Cup," he said on his YouTube channel. "He has announced himself to the world now that he’s a player here to say. He has got so much growth, room for improvement still, but he absolutely influenced games in an England shirt like we’ve never seen a teenager do for England."
To read more, click here.
Liverpool have finally found out how best to use Darwin Nunez
Whatever weaknesses may currently linger in Darwin Nunez’s game, he is a shot machine beyond repute. His average of 5.8 efforts per 90 minutes is the most of any player in England, France, Germany, Italy or Spain this season.
Only 23 men in the top divisions in those countries have taken more shots in total, despite the fact the Liverpool new boy has played less than half of the available minutes ( per FBRef ). And unlike, say, Mario Balotelli, who fired off countless goal attempts from poor locations, Nunez mostly deals in decent opportunities. Just seven players in the big leagues have taken as many shots and from closer to goal on average in 2022/23.
While it’s unrealistic to expect a similar level of performance from everyone regardless of whether they are playing for their club or country – they can’t all reach Lionel Messi’s levels – Nunez was almost entirely blunt at the World Cup. The contrast between his numbers in Qatar and his stats for the Reds emphatically proves the point.
Nunez has made 10 starts for Liverpool and in nine of them he has had at least three shots. Even in the exception, the Champions League win against Ajax in Amsterdam, he scored anyway. Yet at the World Cup, where he was in the XI for all three Uruguay games, the 23-year-old had just three shots in total, one in each match.
Andrew Beasley has the full story, here.
READ NEXT:
- ‘I’ll get him’ - Andy Robertson promised to take revenge on Brazilian who targeted Liverpool team-mate
- Liverpool return on major FSG investment clear after World Cup truth emerges
- Jurgen Klopp refused to let Liverpool players leave Christmas party before 1am after 'losing their minds'
- Enzo Fernandez tipped for Premier League move amid Liverpool interest
- Four World Cup stars Liverpool are tracking ahead of January transfer window
