Fabrizio Romano lauded Jude Bellingham’s superb opening performance for England at the Qatar World Cup, branding the midfielder a ‘really special’ talent.
The Three Lions secured a big 6-2 win against Iran to top their group and the Borussia Dortmund star was very much at the centre of it all.
“Maguire had a great game, also I think we can say that Bellingham is now 100% to be considered one of the best midfielders in the world. It’s not just about the potential, he’s really special,” the Italian journalist told Caught Offside.
Inevitably, this will provide some serious encouragement for the 19-year-old’s current club and the kind of value the tournament looks set to add to his asking price.
“Players’ value will inevitably go up if they have a good World Cup,” Romano – who has covered the Reds’ interest in the teenager on several occasions – went on to add.
“This is good for Borussia Dortmund; this is why they didn’t want to discuss selling Bellingham for €100m weeks ago, they knew there could be a chance of demanding more after the World Cup.
“I think this will prove to be a smart move.”
It’s a worrying prospect for clubs like Liverpool who can’t rely on the apparently limitless funds of petrostate-backed outfits in England and beyond.
However, money, of course, won’t be the absolute decisive factor in negotiations in light of the importance Bellingham places on his personal development.
Beyond silverware and Champions League football, we couldn’t have a better incentive to improve our performances once domestic football returns than for the purpose of boosting our chances of landing the generational midfielder.
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