Jude Bellingham has been one of England’s best players at the World Cup – and his performances have been getting Liverpool fans particularly excited.
Bellingham was exceptional in the Three Lions’ 3-0 win over Senegal on Sunday night, setting up Jordan Henderson for the opening goal while playing a key part in Harry Kane ’s second. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder has started all four of England’s games in Qatar to further his already burgeoning reputation.
The 19-year-old has already established himself as one of the best young players in world football through his performances in Germany. But his displays at the World Cup are sure to increase speculation over a transfer to the Premier League, with Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City among those interested in acquiring his services.
Interest from Liverpool is nothing new. Jurgen Klopp is a known admirer of the former Birmingham City player and the Reds’ need for a world-class central midfielder is clear, with their current crop ageing.
Dortmund are understandably keen to hang onto their star player, who they signed from Birmingham for an initial fee of £25million back in July 2020. He is under contract until June 2025 and won’t come cheap.
But Liverpool supporters have been encouraged, not only by Bellingham’s performances, but also his words and actions towards Reds players.
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Firstly came his appreciation of club legend Steven Gerrard. Speaking to the BBC ahead of England’s opening World Cup match, Bellingham was asked who his Three Lions heroes were. “Gerrard was probably my biggest one,” he replied. “The character he has, besides the football, is world class and then you add on his ability and it’s a joke really.”
He went on to describe comparisons between himself and Gerrard as “a bit disrespectful”, showing his modesty at such a young age.
Next came Bellingham’s closeness with Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is yet to feature for England at the World Cup, but is out in Qatar with the squad. Last week Alexander-Arnold shared a picture of himself alongside Bellingham to his Instagram account, captioned: "Stroll in the city with Bro." Bellingham commented in response: "My brother."
Alexander-Arnold was later asked by BBC Radio 5 Live whether he was working as an “agent” for Liverpool. "I'm just going out with a mate aren't I?" he replied. "Everyone saying 'Agent Trent' but no… We went out a few of us yesterday, we were given the day off so had a decent day out."
Bellingham is not just close with Alexander-Arnold – he is also developing a great relationship with Liverpool skipper Henderson. After assisting his goal against Senegal, the duo shared an intense celebration, which got tongues wagging on Merseyside.
Asked after the match about the goal and the celebration, Bellingham revealed he had been annoyed to read criticism of Henderson in the build-up to the match.
"I’ve seen some of the rubbish said about him, it’s ridiculous – he’s so underrated technically," Bellingham said of his fellow midfielder after the game. "It’s about time he gets a bit of praise.”
Mirror Football understands that Bellingham is Liverpool’s number one transfer priority for the summer of 2023. Liverpool bosses have set aside £86m to sign Bellingham, which would fall short of Dortmund’s valuation.
In that event of protracted negotiations, Bellingham’s affinity with Liverpool becomes a decisive factor. Reds supporters will certainly hope that his time with England will strengthen those bonds.
