Ex-Arsenal defender Sol Campbell, has urged Jude Bellingham to snub Liverpool, and instead play for La Liga champions Real Madrid.
Bellingham is currently one of the most sought-after players in the world, with Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United all expected to be a part of a heated battle to sign him at the end of the season.
The 19-year-old’s stock increased significantly after a string of strong performances at the World Cup in Qatar last month.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been open about his admiration for Bellingham.
Liverpool midfielders James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita could all leave Anfield at the end of the season, and Liverpool are reportedly looking to add the teenager to their ranks. However, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are also nearing the end of their current contracts at Madrid, which means that the Spanish side could decide to make a lucrative offer for Bellingham, who will then join up with the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, and Federico Valverde as part of new midfield trio at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Although joining a team with as much legacy as Los Blancos would come with a lot of responsibility, Campbell is adamant that Bellingham’s career would advance best if he moved to the La Liga.
“Real Madrid is obviously one of the great historical teams and the way he playing, if he goes in the same direction, he would be perfect for Real Madrid because he is very young,” said the former Arsenal defender.
“He’s way ahead in a lot of things, he just needs the right club and the right manager to guide him in the right direction, that’s all, and the right environment, because sometimes you can go to the wrong environment and so you waste your talent for a few years.
“If he goes to Madrid, he will improve the team, but also the club can keep him in the future. It is a club that knows what to do with young players, to make sure they are going in the right direction, and continue to perform.
“And at Real Madrid, if you’re good, you stay a long time. They keep all the really good players and Bellingham is one of the best young players. You just need the right environment to keep your feet on the ground and keep learning.”
He added: “I think he would be perfect for Real Madrid because they will improve. Obviously, at the beginning it would be difficult because he is young and then you know, Real Madrid is a very big club and you have to handle the pressure, but once he gets used to that, he has the right environment around him.”
“He already left Birmingham City for Dortmund. Buying teams are very smart in this business and are making this type of player selection. Now he is almost too good for the club and he has to go, but many players have done this, gone abroad and settled there.
“Yes, some come back. But for me, if I had a team like Real Madrid or one of these big clubs, I wouldn’t need to go back to the Premier League. Yes, there are great clubs in the Premier, but Real Madrid… is historically, you know, the one with the most Champions Leagues.”
