Jude Bellingham has been a long-term transfer target for Liverpool, but the midfielder will command a huge fee should he depart Borussia Dortmund.
It's no secret that Liverpool have been one of Bellingham 's major admirers over the last year, with the Reds potentially looking to invest in their ageing midfield soon. Liverpool fans along with reporters have also picked up on the strong relationship between Bellingham and Liverpool duo Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold within the England camp, with the Liverpool captain sliding Bellingham's cross home for the Three Lions against Senegal in the World Cup round of 16.
The friendship seen between the trio has reignited rumours of Liverpool's interest in the midfielder, though with the 19-year-old having been one of the most impressive players in the World Cup so far, it's expected his already-hefty price tag will increase if Dortmund were to sell their star player. According to the CIES Football Observatory, Bellingham's potential value currently sits at a whopping £215 million.
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So, what sort of impact could the 19-year-old have on Liverpool if he was to make the move to Merseyside in January? We simulated the remainder of the season with Bellingham in Jurgen Klopp's side to find out.
We 'signed' Jude Bellingham for Liverpool in January transfer window
To set up this simulation, we used Football Manager 2023 to arrange for the England international to sign for Liverpool in the 2023 January transfer window, using FM23 to run the simulation. We then simulated the remainder of the 2022/23 season to see what sort of impact the midfielder could have.
Bellingham became a regular in the Liverpool side upon his arrival in the simulation, with Jurgen Klopp trusting the 19-year-old to start 21 games in his first season at the club. In his 21 appearances, Bellingham scored three and assisted two whilst also averaging one of the best ratings per game in the squad.
Fifteen of his appearances came in the Premier League whilst three came in the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League respectively. His best competition was in the Premier League, where the midfielder managed two of his goals and both of his assists.
Bellingham was limited to just three Champions League appearances after missing the round of 16 through injury and then picking up a suspension in the next round. Compared to the rest of the Liverpool squad, Bellingham managed the seventh-best rating in the squad as he adjusted to life in the Premier League.
Mohamed Salah was the highest-rated player with an average rating of 7.69, and the Egyptian also managed the most goals, assists and player of the match awards. Luis Diaz hit 20 goals for the season whilst Darwin Nunez grabbed 17 in his first season at the club.
At the end of the 2022/23 season, Football Manager 23 put together an overall best Liverpool XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics. This is what it looked like:
Full Liverpool best XI: (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Matip, Robertson; Thiago, Bellingham, Elliot; Salah, Nunez, Diaz.
Bellingham slotted into the Liverpool side after his first few months at the club, with Harvey Elliot and Thiago joining the 19-year-old in the best XI's midfield three. Joel Matip was selected over Ibrahima Konate in defence, whilst Nunez and Diaz were selected alongside Salah in the front three, meaning Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota missed out.
Liverpool's results with Bellingham in the squad
With Bellingham in the side and no major injury issues, Liverpool became a formidable force in the Premier League during the second half of the season, climbing up the table and ending the season in second place. An 11-game win streak between March and the end of the season sent Klopp's side flying up the table, whilst the likes of Arsenal, Man United and Tottenham all had a rough patch at one point or another.
In total, Liverpool tallied 83 points during the 2022/23 Premier League season, just two fewer than champions Manchester City. The Reds beat Arsenal to second place on goal difference, with the Reds ending the season as the league's top scorers with 69 goals.
Liverpool also became much more solid defensively in the new year, ending the campaign with the third-best defensive record in the league. In the cup competitions, Liverpool were unable to win any trophies, losing out on the Champions League at the final hurdle for the second consecutive year.
After missing out on top spot in the Champions League group stages to Napoli, the Italian side met Liverpool again in the final, beating Klopp's side 2-1 after extra time. The Reds' FA Cup fate was also settled in extra-time as they lost 1-0 to Arsenal in the semi-finals, and a poor display saw Klopp's men lose 2-0 to Fulham in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
If Liverpool were to sign Jude Bellingham in January, Football Manager predicts that the midfielder could make the instant impact expected of him, helping Liverpool reach the Champions League final and rediscover their best form in the Premier League. At just 19, Bellingham can offer the Reds' midfield incredible longevity, so despite a hefty price tag attached to the Englishman, he could easily prove worth it in just a few years.
Would you like to see Liverpool sign Bellingham in January? Let us know in the comments!
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