Rio Ferdinand has seemingly expressed doubts as to whether Jude Bellingham would want to sign for Liverpool in the summer.
The Reds have been intensely linked with the Borussia Dortmund star, with Real Madrid another consistently-cited suitor in the transfer race for the 19-year-old (as per Diario AS).
The two clubs vying for his services met in the Champions League on Wednesday night, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side winning 1-0 at the Bernabeu to complete a comprehensive 6-2 aggregate victory.
Ferdinand was on punditry duty for BT Sport for that game and, after full-time, he was discussing Bellingham’s future with his fellow analysts.
The ex-Manchester United defender said: “I just think if he’s watching that tonight, he’s sitting there thinking if Real Madrid and Liverpool are in for me, there’s only one place I can go, and they [LFC] don’t finish [in the] Champions League as well maybe.
“As a player, you look at it cold and go ‘I see more trophies here’.”
Viewed in the context of this result, the ex-Red Devils man seems quite doubtful about Bellingham opting for a move to Anfield rather than the Bernabeu.
It’s not what Liverpool fans will want to hear, but hopefully that result alone won’t make the decision for him and the Reds can still make a convincing enough case to persuade him to come to Merseyside.
You can see the full exchange between the BT Sport pundits below courtesy of @btsportfootball on Twitter: