Liverpool legend John Aldridge has suggested that the Merseyside club use club hero Steven Gerrard to lure Jude Bellingham in the summer as reports state that a deal for the midfielder is growing more unlikely.
Bellingham is expected to leave Borussia Dortmund in the summer for a very large fee and there are several clubs in the mix for the 19-year-old – Liverpool, Man City and Real Madrid are the three main contenders.
The Athletic reported this morning that it is increasingly unlikely that Liverpool will sign the England international in the summer as the money involved is set to be too much for the Premier League giants, especially if they miss out on next season’s Champions league.
In order to help Liverpool get the deal done, Liverpool legend John Aldridge has suggested in his Sunday World column that the Merseyside club use club hero Steven Gerrard to lure the Dortmund star to Anfield.
Aldridge tells Liverpool to use Gerrard to bring Bellingham to Merseyside next season
“What I am advocating is that Gerrard could be used as the salesman-in-chief in Liverpool’s pursuit of England midfielder Jude Bellingham,” Aldridge stated in his column. “Gerrard was the idol for this young midfielder when he was growing up.
“So Liverpool would be wise to get Stevie in on this deal as his voice may be massive in persuading Bellingham to sign.
“When you have a dream to play for a club and your idol is standing in front of you asking you to follow in his footsteps, it can have a big impact.
“So Liverpool need to get Gerrard involved in the Bellingham talks, let him know that he is a Liverpool captain in the making and this great club can be his stage of the next decade.”
Speaking on BT Sport back in January, Gerrard stated that he would be more than happy to fly to Dortmund to convince Bellingham to join his former club.
The Reds legend stated via the Express: “I want Jude Bellingham at Liverpool. I’ll fly out to Dortmund and take him out for a nice dinner! I think it’s important to stay in England to continue his growth and development. Just get him to send his diary to me!”
This could be a good tactic for Liverpool to employ as it could have a big impact on Bellingham’s decision.