In our view, Liverpool target Jude Bellingham should model his game on Yaya Toure instead of Steven Gerrard.
The 19-year-old, who stood out in England’s 3-0 drubbing of Senegal in the World Cup last-16 has been heavily linked with a move to Anfield.
Only recently, Sky journalist Florian Plettenburg had implied that the youngster is intrigued by the prospect of joining Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Previously, even Fabrizio Romano has claimed via his YouTube channel that the Reds consider the wonderkid as their “main target”.
Bellingham should model his game on Toure instead of Gerrard
In England’s latest victory against Senegal, Liverpool target Jude Bellingham showed flashes of a young Yaya Toure, instead of Steven Gerrard.
Much like the Ivorian, the Englishman’s supreme ball-carrying ability and one-of-one athleticism caught the eye.
It was best exemplified in the build-up to Harry Kane’s goal.
Bellingham pressed high up the pitch, retained possession, drove past a series of defenders before finding Foden, who set up Kane.
In a similar vein to Toure, the sought-after midfielder is a unique blend of a final third demon blessed with impregnable defensive capabilities.
In addition, the teenager also has bags of technique whilst being a rare physical specimen, much like the Man City legend.
While many often compare Bellingham to Gerrard, including Ray Parlour recently (via The Evening Standard) his finest qualities emerge much further than the Liverpool icon’s signature No.8 position.
As witnessed against Iran at the World Cup, the Dortmund talisman has a knack for sniffing out goalscoring chances in advanced areas of the pitch.
Against Senegal as well, it was in the final third where Jude Bellingham shone the brightest.
And the central factor that has influenced the Birmingham-born hero enjoying his most fruitful season currently is his proficiency much higher up the pitch, in comparison to Steven Gerrard.
Can Jude Bellingham become the next Yaya Toure?
That’s next to impossible to say.
And it is key to emphasise that the Sky Blues midfielder was a once-in-a-generation midfielder.
But if there is a player in world football who possesses the technical excellence and physical gifts of the now-Tottenham youth coach, it’s the youngster himself.
Liverpool could have the leader of their midfield for the next decade if Jude Bellingham becomes even half the player Yaya Toure was, as he profiles much more like him than Steven Gerrard.
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