Micah Richards has hailed the ‘already unbelievable’ Jude Bellingham ahead of the World Cup, backing the Englishman to play a central role in the Three Lions upcoming campaign in Qatar.
This comes courtesy of the Daily Mail (via a tweet from Dominic King), with the former Manchester City star nodding to interest from Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid in the rising star.
“I can understand why Liverpool were so heavily linked with him this summer and why Jurgen Klopp reportedly is a huge admirer – there will no doubt be huge interest in every transfer window from now on,” the former England international told the publication.
International week special column from @MicahRichards focussing on:
🦁 why the time is right for Jude Bellingham
🦁 frustration over James Maddison’s absence
🦁 Big moment for Trent Alexander-Arnold to deliver pic.twitter.com/2YFj1ob4N5— Dominic King (@DominicKing_DM) September 21, 2022
The Merseysiders are said to have made the teenager their top priority for the summer window of 2023 but will face a significant obstacle in the form of a £131.6m price-tag slapped on the midfielder’s back.
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The fee in question has already led a number of fans online to rule out Jurgen Klopp’s men from making a move for the Bundesliga-residing starlet.
That’s understandable to a certain degree when one considers how inflated that price could become should Bellingham enjoy a stellar World Cup.
That being said, we’ve shown a willingness too invest big when it counts – agreeing a £64m deal for Darwin Nunez that’s expected to rise to £85m, in addition to reported big-money moves for the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde.
Given the calibre of talent we’re discussing there’s has to be an element of acknowledging an exceptional talent and adjusting accordingly when it comes to deciding how to distribute our available kitty next summer.