The vast majority of Liverpool supporters are expecting the club to sign Jude Bellingham this summer.
That’s the view of former Reds captain Phil Thompson. Speaking to US radio station SiriusXM yesterday, Thompson suggested that fans anticipating Bellingham’s arrival at Anfield could be setting themselves up for a fall.
“All Liverpool fans, everybody thinks Jude Bellingham is going to sign,” said the 69-year-old. “I’ve tried to tell a number of people. I do Q&A’s at Anfield and you ask 50 people in the room, who thinks Jude Bellingham is coming to Liverpool? 48 will put their hands up – you’ve got to get it out of your mind.
“If he doesn’t [join], it could be the biggest let down for all Liverpool fans. Because he was mates with Trent, because he was mates with Jordan Henderson, people think it’s going to happen.”
There’s a real danger of Liverpool supporters putting all their eggs in the Bellingham basket, sure. But there’s also still a real chance that the deal does come off. Have a little faith, Thommo!
Liverpool still well in the race for Bellingham
We disagree with Thommo here. For every Liverpool fan who thinks Bellingham is joining, we think there are probably several others who hold the opposite view.
As we well know, the fee to get the 19-year-old out of Borussia Dortmund is going to be exorbitant. It isn’t usually Liverpool’s style to go quite so big on a single player and it would go a little against the grain.
Add into that the fact that the two apparent competitors – Manchester City and Real Madrid – are the two richest club’s in the game, and it’s easy to be sceptical.
But on the other hand, why should Liverpool fans downplay their ambitions? We’re also one of the biggest, wealthiest clubs on the planet. Why can’t we go out and sign one of the biggest prospects in world football?
It’s this kind of mentality that has held the Reds back in the past. The money should be there to make the deal happen, there’s no real reason Bellingham wouldn’t want to come? What’s the problem.
It feels like a long while since Liverpool went out and bought a ready-made ‘world-class’ player – as Bellingham is. Rectify that, and supporters will be delighted to have their optimism proven right.