Jason McAteer has explained why Jude Bellingham should still be willing to join Liverpool despite the Reds’ inconsistent performances this term.
Jurgen Klopp’s men, who were defeated 4-1 by Manchester City at the Etihad yesterday, currently find themselves seven points adrift of the top four and face Chelsea and league leaders Arsenal in their next two games.
The Borussia Dortmund star is the club’s ‘priority’ transfer target this summer but with the Merseysiders also facing competition from the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City, Richard Keys doesn’t believe the 19-year-old will opt for a move to L4.
Keys posed the following question to McAteer while presenting on beIN SPORTS (via Liverpool Echo): “I’m Jude Bellingham, sell me Liverpool right now. Why would I join your club next year?”
The ex-Red responded: “First of all, Jude Bellingham is 19 and has the pick of anywhere he wants to go. I don’t know whether Barcelona or Real Madrid are, financially, in a situation to take him and offer Dortmund what they want. It’s the next step. Even as a 19-year-old, you could pick up an injury tomorrow that could end your career. You take the opportunity when it does come along.”
Keys then asked, in an attempt to provoke McAteer: “So the only thing on your mind is the money?”
“No… it’s progression,” McAteer responded once again. “You don’t want to play in the Bundesliga, you want to play in the best league in the world – and that’s the Premier League. They [Liverpool] can you offer you moving forward a platform to express yourself. You can’t put Liverpool in the same bracket as Borussia Dortmund.
“I don’t want to be disrespectful, but it’s the Bundesliga and they [Dortmund] have two games a season: Bayern Munich home and away. They don’t really feature in the Champions League, they’ve been knocked out, so does he want to stay there?”
Keys was having none of McAteer’s case for Bellingham to join Liverpool, though, and insisted that there are more appealing options for the England international with many of Klopp’s current stars past their best. “Three of your back four you need to move on, your two full-backs have gone and Van Dijk is not good enough anymore. The three in midfield are either too old or not good enough. It’s a huge job. I’m Jude Bellingham looking at that and thinking ‘I don’t think so’.”
No matter where the Birmingham City Academy graduate decides to go in the summer (that’s assuming he does leave the Bundesliga outfit), he will be a guaranteed starter.
The decision he does need to make, though, is whether he comes to Anfield and spearheads a rebuild at the club or if he joins a club like Madrid or City who are already in a comfortable position squad-wise.
He’s been linked with a move to Liverpool for what feels like an eternity so if he was to head anywhere else other than Merseyside it’s going to be rather hard to watch.
We’ll just have to wait and see what happens in the summer but we certainly believe the sizeable fee that Dortmund will demand for his signature will be worth every penny.
Even Klopp does not have any clue to the dismay of Liverpool this season….it’s up to the players themselves to pick up where they started last season…
Keys talks PONY FULL STOP