Liverpool need to land an absolute monster this summer if they want to stay up there with the big fish.
And if I was Jurgen Klopp I’d be going straight on to the club’s owners to say ‘Get me Jude Bellingham!’ I think this kid is sprinkled with stardust and has everything in his locker to be the best midfielder in the world for a decade to come. He is only 18, but there’s something more about the lad than just raw talent.
He’s a wonderful footballer who is only going to get better. Yeah, I know he’s contracted to Borussia Dortmund until 2025, but everyone knows they are a selling club and Liverpool should try and force their hand. People are talking figures in the region of £85million to get him but, for me, he’s just the kind of signing Liverpool need to make.
Don’t listen to the snipers who suggest Jurgen Klopp’s side have ended up having a disappointing season. They’ve won two cups and only lost the Premier League by a point to Manchester City, and a single goal to Real Madrid in the big one. Ending that way is going to hurt for a while but what Liverpool have to do now is make a marquee signing every single season to keep up with the likes of City.
If it costs £70m-plus each time then that’s the way it has to be, because it would be very easy to slip behind the likes of City and the rest. Bellingham can be whatever he wants to be and I like everything I hear about him. He’s a good pro who won’t be found out on the town. His demeanour and the way he handles himself is said to be top notch.
It would be a shame if all the work Klopp has done to build such a magnificent side was spoiled by simply standing still. Other clubs will quickly catch up so it’s vital to build from a position of strength. Liverpool have players who are getting on and the likes of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Thiago may be driven, but there needs to be a group of great young players nipping at their heels and trying to push them out of the team.
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I’d get Bellingham whatever it costs because I could see a possible situation where you had him Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott as the next engine room at Anfield. It won’t happen overnight, but it’s not supposed to. Ideally it’s a gradual process. There’s always been this myth that Liverpool don’t have the budget to compete with the likes of City, Chelsea and perhaps even the likes of new-era Newcastle.
But they’ve earned really good cash from the competitions this season. The owners must be delighted that Klopp has signed a new deal but they have to reward that with giving him good money to bolster the squad. Klopp needs to be looking at one top player around the 27-28-years-old mark EACH season to keep things ticking over.
I know Bellingham doesn’t fit that prototype but he’s one for the next 10 years. Someone like maybe Kalvin Phillips could be brought in. It looks like they’re going to get cash for Sadio Mane but they don’t have to panic into trying to replace him because they have more than enough talent in that department.
