Tony Cascarino has told The Times that Liverpool should actually prioritise Declan Rice over Jude Bellingham if the Reds have to make a choice between one or the other this summer.
For some time, Bellingham appears to have been Jurgen Klopp’s top target for the end of the season. Fabrizio Romano suggested this week that the Borussia Dortmund star remains the name at the top of their wishlist.
The England international is one of the best talents in world football. So it appears that it is a no-brainer for Liverpool if the chance presents itself in the coming months.
Liverpool told to prioritise Rice over Bellingham
But perhaps, they should be even more interested in another player.
Another star who may be on the move this summer is Rice. The Times reported this week that West Ham expect to sell the 24-year-old at the end of the season. But his admirers will have to pay around £80 million.
Journalist Ben Jacobs has recently told The Football Terrace that Liverpool cannot be ruled out in the race for Rice.
And Cascarino believes that the West Ham man should even be the priority ahead of Bellingham if the Reds are only able to sign one of the two in the coming months.
“If the option is between Jude Bellingham and Rice, Liverpool should go for the latter. Bellingham is an excellent player but Rice solves the problems Liverpool are having and would provide a platform enabling those around him to shine,” he told The Times.
“Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have looked off the pace, with their ability to turn the ball over, make tackles and interceptions having fallen away. As a result, Liverpool’s midfield has been easy to run through but Rice is not a player who lets opponents pass him often.”
It is a surprise to hear Cascarino suggest that Rice would be a better signing than Bellingham for Liverpool. Rice is a ‘magnificent‘ player. And he is arguably one of the first names on the team sheet for England.
But Bellingham has got it all. He can seemingly play in every single midfield role. And he is more than four years younger than Rice. So he has presumably got even greater room for improvement.
Rice would be an outstanding addition. But it is hard to imagine too many Liverpool fans would agree with Cascarino’s statement simply because of how good Bellingham is.
