"I talked to Southgate..." - Journalist claims England players will have huge impact on Bellingham decision

England players’ relationship with Jude Bellingham will have a huge impact on which club the teenager moves to next, according to a reputable journalist.

Bellingham has been one of the stars of the World Cup, having netted England’s opening goal of the tournament against Iran, and put in a player of the match performance in the Three Lions’ 3-0 round-of-16 victory against AFCON champions Senegal.

The teenager’s dazzling performances in Qatar have received praise from fans, pundits and team-mates alike.

Indeed, Manchester City’s Phil Foden told ITV after England's victory over Senegal: "I don't want to big him up too much because he is still young, but he's one of the most gifted players I have ever seen. He has no weakness in his game. I think he will be the best midfielder in the world."

Another player who could not speak highly enough of Bellingham was Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, who said: "I can't keep saying nice things about him because we're talking about a one-off. He's only young and we just need to let him play football - but he is incredible."

The 19-year-old, who is contracted at Borussia Dortmund until 2025, has been the subject of interest from the continent’s biggest sides. In the Premier League, Liverpool, Manchester United and Man City are all keen on signing Bellingham in 2023, while further afield the England star is on the radar of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

England players’ impact on Bellingham

Liverpool fans in particular have been encouraged by Bellingham’s close bond with Reds pair Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold while away in Qatar.

And according to SportBILD journalist Christian Falk, the Liverpool duo’s relationship with the Bellingham will help in Liverpool’s pursuit of the player.

Falk, who claims Liverpool are ahead of the likes of Real Madrid in the race for Bellingham, told Empire of the Kop: “It helps, you know! Jamal Musiala was also convinced to play for Germany because of the contact with the Bayern Munich players.

“I talked to Gareth Southgate about it and he said ‘yeah, it’s a shame the Munich players have convinced him.’ This is always good for Liverpool.

“I talked to Jamal Musiala also about this point and I said ‘is there any chance you can bring in one of his best friends into Munich’ and he said ‘no, no chance. I would really have enjoyed playing with him at the club but I think he won’t come to Munich and will leave the Bundesliga’.

“So you see the players, also Jurgen Klopp, but also the English national players are doing a good job to get him to the Premier League.”

Topics: Football, Liverpool, Jude Bellingham, England, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan Henderson

Chris Byfield

Sport journalist with experience writing on football, rugby, boxing and the Olympics. I'm also a Crystal Palace fan. Please don't hold this against me.