Rio Ferdinand has urged wonderkid Jude Bellingham to join Manchester United and lead the club's resurgence under Erik ten Hag.
Bellingham is likely to leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season, having starred for the Bundesliga side over the past two years. A host of top clubs are chasing his signature, with Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester City leading the race.
But Ferdinand has insisted that United would be a good option for the 19-year-old. Bellingham's value has skyrocketed following an impressive World Cup, despite England being knocked out in the quarter-finals by France.
Former Red Devils star Ferdinand believes that Bellingham "announced himself to the world" and urged the midfielder to consider a move to United, where he could be a key part of Ten Hag's continuing rebuild.
"Jude Bellingham has been a phenomenon at the World Cup. He has announced himself to the world now that he’s a player here to say," Ferdinand told his Vibe with Five podcast, per Metro.
"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. Manchester United, bring him here.
"Make that your home, Jude. You come and help change shift the culture and take the club to the heights it should be at! He’s been flying the flag abroad, he’s done his bit in Germany, it’s time to come home, baby."
Earlier in the tournament, Ferdinand insisted that Bellingham would improve any team that he joined. And the United legend reiterated his belief that the youngster will take time to make a decision on his next move.
"There's not one team in the world that he doesn't go to and improve; every team he improves. He makes City better, he makes Real Madrid, Barca, PSG, everybody, he makes them all better," Ferdinand said of Bellingham.
"The big thing is the maturity of this kid. He's not going to make an impulsive decision, it's not going to be driven by just money. All the right and normal factors around the transfer are going to be considered. He'll go where he feels is best for his development and for him to win."
Liverpool appear to be leading the race to sign Bellingham, with the Reds having made him their top transfer target. But City and Real Madrid are also pushing to mount a move for the Dortmund star.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Which club should Jude Bellingham join next summer? Comment below.
With no release clause in his contract and more than two years left to run on his deal, the Black and Yellow can virtually name their price. It is estimated they will be looking for a fee of at least £120million.
Such a price would likely be too much for United to pay, even if boss Ten Hag is keen to rebuild his central midfield options. Though Christian Eriksen and Casemiro have impressed this season, central midfield remains a weak area of the squad.
