Sol Campbell has advised Jude Bellingham to accept an offer to join Real Madrid this summer and reject a move to the Premier League.
Liverpool have been credited with an interest in Bellingham on a number of occasions in the past, with Jurgen Klopp thought to be a big fan. Meanwhile, rivals Manchester City and Manchester United are also admirers of the Englishman, while Madrid have emerged as frontrunners for his signature this summer.
The central midfielder was one of the stars of the World Cup as he shone in the heart of England’s midfield, leading Liverpool to step up their interest in signing Bellingham. While he is not expected to move on in January, Borussia Dortmund are preparing to cash-in on their star in the summer.
The Reds are hought to be intent of landing the England international, who previously spent some time on Merseyside when he was playing at Under-11 level. He had a two-day trial at the club's Kirkby academy and was impressed, enjoying a tour of the facilities, but no transfer materialised.
However, former England international Campbell believes Bellingham would be better served in rejecting interest from Premier League clubs, including Liverpool, to instead make the switch to the Spanish capital.
“Real Madrid is obviously one of the great historical teams and the way he playing, if he goes in the same direction, he would be perfect for Real Madrid because he is very young,” Campbell explained at an event this week in Turkey.
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“He's way ahead in a lot of things, he just needs the right club and the right manager to guide him in the right direction, that's all, and the right environment, because sometimes you can go to the wrong environment and so you waste your talent for a few years.”
Campbell continued, underling Madrid as the best developers of talent: “If he goes to Madrid, he will improve the team, but also the club can keep him in the future. It is a club that knows what to do with young players, to make sure they are going in the right direction and continue to perform.
“And at Real Madrid, if you're good, you stay a long time. They keep all the really good players and Bellingham is one of the best young players. You just need the right environment to keep your feet on the ground and keep learning.”
The former Tottenham and Arsenal defender added: “I think he would be perfect for Real Madrid because they will improve. Obviously, at the beginning it would be difficult because he is young and then you know, Real Madrid is a very big club and you have to handle the pressure, but once he gets used to that, he has the right environment around him.”
Campbell continued to highlight the need for Bellingham to continue his career abroad due to the level he is currently playing at and how he adjusted to starring for Dortmund in the Bundesliga.
“He already left Birmingham City for Dortmund,” Campbell reasoned. “Buying teams are very smart in this business and are making this type of player selection. Now he is almost too good for the club and he has to go, but many players have done this, gone abroad and settled there.
“Yes, some come back. But for me, if I had a team like Real Madrid or one of these big clubs, I wouldn't need to go back to the Premier League. Yes, there are great clubs in the Premier, but Real Madrid... is historically, you know, the one with the most Champions Leagues.”
When Bellingham was quizzed on his future prior to Dortmund's Champions League clash with Manchester City earlier this season, the teenager explained: "The club have done loads for me and made me feel very welcome since I first came and gave me the opportunities to develop even further. To look past that and into the future would be disrespectful. It's not something I am thinking about, to be honest."
