Europe’s giant clubs are expected to pursue Jude Bellingham during the summer transfer window, with Liverpool and Real Madrid among the favorites to sign the Englishman.

Thierry Henry declared he has “an idea” of the club Jude Bellingham will join next while covering the Champions League with Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher.

Arsenal hero Henry sang Bellingham’s praises before Tuesday night’s last-16 second leg between Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund, which the 19-year-old started in midfield. The England international is one of Europe’s hottest properties and is expected to be at the center of a vicious transfer tussle this summer.

Liverpool leads the interest from the Premier League while Real Madrid has long coveted the teenager, who came through the ranks at Birmingham City. Understandably, Carragher is desperate for Bellingham to pick his beloved Reds, and Henry hinted he and his fellow pundit believe the player will “end up” at Anfield.

“He’s all-round, he’s complete, he likes to show some movement, skills going forward,” Henry said on CBS Sports of Bellingham. “What I like about him is the way he always wants the ball, he never hides whether he has to defend or to attack, he’s always on the ball looking to see if he can feed his strikers.

“This is what I like about him, he’s willing to try and get the ball back – it’s not only about football skills. He’s going to get that ball, see if he can play, he’s going to go around and pass it, be available, and pass it to his mate again. He can do whatever he wants at this particular moment and we all know this is why a lot of people want him because he has that in his locker.

“Taking the ball, going the other side, dummying the player, and finishing with the outside of his foot, what a player. A lot of teams want him. We all have an idea of where he might end up, Jamie, right?”

“Hopefully, fingers crossed,” Carragher responded to the Arsenal and Barcelona icon, who went on to liken Bellingham to Steven Gerrard. “Yeah he does, I have to say,” Henry said when asked if there are similarities between the Dortmund No.22 and the former Liverpool captain.

“It’s a tough one. I loved the way Stevie G used to play, Stevie G had something – he used to grab his team with him and everyone played better.

“I go back to that [2005 Champions League] final when he scored that goal, I saw you look at him and go ‘we’ll follow you’, and Stevie G had that. I don’t know if he has that but if we talk about that quality that what he has and if he goes to that team that we all know you love, he can have that impact.”

Also

GOOD NEWS; John Henry breaks silence on Liverpool’s transfer plans as the summer window picture develops.

John Henry and FSG have come under fire of late as Liverpool’s fortunes on the pitch dwindled in stark comparison to the incredible heights of the prior campaign.

Living up to a season that nearly delivered a historic quadruple haul of silverware was always going to be a titanic challenge, however, few expected a collapse so significant as that which followed in 2022/23.

The scale of investment required to build on what Jurgen Klopp’s men are beginning to salvage from the wreckage has since become clear, though the Reds’ principal owner appeared to wave away the prospect of a mammoth transfer kitty being granted this summer.

“We continue responsibly building at Liverpool Football Club,” the Boston Globe owner exclusively revealed to the Liverpool Echo.

“We’ve seen many football clubs (including LFC previously) go down unsustainable paths. We have and will continue to focus our attention on investing wisely in the transfer market and we remain incredibly proud of our squad.

“At the same time, we continue investing in our training facilities, our main stand, and currently the Anfield Road stand. These are all physical reflections of our resolve and how very seriously Fenway Sports Group takes its responsibilities for this great club.”

Historically, we have relied to a great extent on the revenue the club makes, be it from commercial income or player sales, investing sustainably with the help of analytics and the nous of negotiating experts like Michael Edwards and Julian Ward.

With there being only a few examples in the current squad who could yield genuine value for us – with Caoimhin Kelleher standing out as a prime option – however, we must beg the question as to HOW top target Jude Bellingham, and any other additions, will be funded.

There’s value in the suggestion that unchecked spending, for instance, a la Chelsea, can hinder rather than transform a season, though it’s likewise critical we spend appropriately on targets we need to ensure we don’t get left behind by our less frugal rivals.