Bellingham AND Haaland?
ARTICLE BY MATTY
Hello again, everyone. It’s been a little while but I’ve got nothing better to do at the moment rather than to sit down and write about what is probably my boldest prediction yet (which is quite something if you’ve seen my prediction league results). I believe that we will see both Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland wearing the Liverpool red next summer. You’ll probably think this article is coming out way too early, and you’re probably right. I probably should be writing something about our early season success or Harvey Elliott’s route to recovery. I’ve even got a mental health article planned at GDoc’s request. But there’s something special about these two, and the sooner it’s realized the better for us: you can’t just get one or the other, they’re a package deal.
Now, why do I say this? Well, it’s quite simple: Bellingham is a leader and Haaland needs someone to follow. Haaland, to be honest, is still very immature for his age, not to mention his agent is a ticking timebomb who expects to be paid quite a hefty commission. I expect that Haaland’s arrogance and immaturity will turn off Klopp initially, as character is an important part of Liverpool’s recruitment process. Yet we’ve seen growth from Haaland this season, he’s starting to drop back and be involved more often in Dortmund’s pressing systems and their buildup play. Just look at numerous highlights from the season opener against Frankfurt and you’ll see Haaland carrying the ball from midfield before threading passes into the box for runners to latch onto and score. Sounds a whole lot like Bobby Firmino, doesn’t it? Dortmund and Haaland have been much better this season. The only change from last season? The rise of Jude Bellingham.
Unlike Haaland, Bellingham’s maturity was apparent at an early age, when he was one of the leaders of Birmingham’s squad when he was merely 16 years old! He took time acclimating to the Bundesliga last season, but has become an absolute star for Dortmund this season. Bellingham and Haaland have grown to be great friends, but there’s also another dynamic involved: remember when I said Bellingham was a leader at Birmingham? Haaland recognized that too. Just like game recognizes game, followers latch onto good leaders. Haaland looks to Bellingham a lot during the games, after Haaland scored in the Champions League he looked for Jude to celebrate with him before anyone else. Jude’s helping Haaland become better and Haaland is helping Jude look better. That’s the definition of a symbiotic relationship, one that teams should be sure not to break up.
Now that I’ve explained why the pair should be a package deal, now I’ll get into the logistics of how Liverpool can afford such a deal. As you well know, Liverpool have both a decent number of players they can sell already and a decent amount of funds already available. We’ve got about £40 million sitting around already from sales in the previous summer, as well as the possible sales of more fringe players next summer. This is without mentioning that some players will only have a year left on their current contracts at this time next summer, meaning that perhaps someone like Ox or maybe Keita might be sold if we’re desperate for funds to take this possible deal over the line. My guess is this deal will cost about £150 million total: £70 million for Haaland’s release clause and £80 million to purchase Bellingham. But it gives Liverpool the chance to get an extremely marketable star in Haaland, the best English player in the world in Bellingham, and the opportunity to leave every other club behind. If there was ever an opportunity to break out the cash, this would have to be the year to do it.
Now, of course, all this is merely speculation at this point. This is just some things I’ve noticed from our transfer strategies, the way our contracts are set up, and the unique opportunity that it is to sign both Bellingham and Haaland. Based on their friendship and their on-field relationship, I think we simply have to try and get both.
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