“Worth waiting for” – Noel Whelan identifies ‘next big player’ Liverpool must sign

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has urged Liverpool to go all out for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham. He believes the England international could be a replacement for the likes of James Milner and Jordan Henderson.

The Reds made a significant addition to their squad with the signing of Darwin Nunez from Benfica recently. They also signed Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsay this summer.

Whelan believes that the Reds should add Bellingham to their summer transfer list.

According to Football Insider, Borussia Dortmund have informed Liverpool that they won't part ways with the midfielder this summer. This is because they just sold Erling Haaland to Manchester City.

As per the Mirror, Jurgen Klopp has told Liverpool sporting director Julian Ward that he needs a new midfielder. He stated that he should be “ young, multi-functional operator with technique and athleticism in equal abundance."

Whelan believes Jude Bellingham would be an ideal option for Liverpool even though he might not be available right now.

The former Leeds United striker told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley:

“That’s where Jude Bellingham comes in. It’s known that Borussia Dortmund don’t let two stars go in one season, that’s not how they operate. I think they’ve got enough in midfield to see one more season out and then get the player they want."

Liverpool have bolstered their options in front of goal with the addition of Luis Diaz and Nunez over the last five months. Whelan believes it's time to switch attention to the center of the pitch. He said:

“I don’t see any point of getting a third-choice, fourth-choice stand-by when you know you are building a squad with the likes of [Luis] Diaz and [Darwin] Nunez that have come into the first-team."

He added:

“Now you need that next big player for five, six years to take the place of a Fabinho, a [James] Milner or a [Jordan] Henderson. You’ve got to bring in your number one target. For me, that’s worth waiting for in Jude Bellingham."

Bellingham has played 89 matches for Dortmund so far across all competitions, contributing 10 goals and 18 assists.

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How much Jude Bellingham could cost Liverpool?

The midfielder continues running riot in the Bundesliga

According to Transfermarkt, the midfielder has a market value of €80 million at the moment. However, that figure could either rise or fall, considering that the player will realistically still spend one more season at Signal Iduna Park before any potential transfer.

Bellingham made a whopping 43 appearances for Borussia Dortmund in the recently concluded campaign. He recorded six goals and 14 assists to his name across all competitions.