Speaking on BT Sport, Rio Ferdinand has been discussing reported Liverpool target, Jude Bellingham, after another standout performance against Manchester City.
Bellingham is making a habit of standing out in the Champions League, scoring in each of his first four appearances in the competition this term, and while he drew a blank against City on Tuesday, he was still irresistibly brilliant.
The midfielder covered every blade of grass and he did so in such an intelligent way, finding pockets of space all over the park and looking comfortable whenever he receives the ball.
Bellingham’s football IQ was on show against City, and Ferdinand was blown away by what he saw.
Bellingham’s genius
Ferdinand hailed the Borussia Dortmund midfielder.
“He’s everywhere on the pitch, and when he receives the ball, in that last clip there he received the ball as a number nine and kept the ball. He ghosts around the pitch and never looks out of place wherever he receives the ball. If you talk to some of the coaches who coached him as a young player with England he could play as a holding midfielder as well as he plays as a number 10, it’s crazy in terms of the game understanding,” Ferdinand said.
Iniesta-esque
Aside from his obvious qualities, one of Bellingham’s biggest selling points is his ability to read the game.
Indeed, he knows where to be and he knows where to go next at all times, and his ability to do this is very reminiscent of a certain Andres Iniesta.
The fact that he’s able to play like this against Manchester City just goes to show how ready he is for a Premier League move, and Liverpool will be desperate to get their hands on him after 12 months of constant links.
Bellingham may well be at the centre of the biggest transfer story of 2023.
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