Liverpool will hope that their 7-0 thrashing of Manchester United has done more for their season than simply send a warning shot at their fellow top four rivals.
Commenting on the rumours linking Jude Bellingham with an Anfield switch, Peter Schmeichel suggested that the humiliation Jurgen Klopp’s men inflicted upon his old club took them a ‘massive step’ closer to Champions League qualification.
“There is a lot of noise coming around Liverpool that he’s joining Liverpool,” the former Manchester United No.1 told CBS Sports (via HITC).
“What they did on Sunday took them a massive step into this tournament (the Champions League) next year.
“If they are in there, then there is a chance that he will be playing at Liverpool next year. But it’s going to cost them a lot of money because I know clubs like Man United and Real Madrid are in for him as well.”
The availability of premier European football would most certainly be a plus when it comes to the Merseysiders’ hopes of bringing the ‘complete’ (according to Thierry Henry, via HITC) 19-year-old to L4.
Financially, the benefit is obvious to all, with Champions League football a big consideration when it comes to our revenue streams.
With the Red Devils being tentatively linked to our top summer target, it also can’t hurt our chances when Bellingham is witnessing the quality of football we’re more than capable of playing.
The same could be said of our own humbling at the hands of Real Madrid in February, of course, though it’s worth pointing out that other circumstances – chief amongst them being the availability of several young, exciting midfielders already – could very well mitigate the result.
With a game in hand on Tottenham and only three points separating us from Spurs in fourth, the odds appear increasingly in our favour.