Steven Gerrard has offered to “fly to Dortmund personally and take” Jude Bellingham “out for a nice dinner” in an effort to convince him to sign for Liverpool.
The Reds have been linked with the England international over the last year or two with claims in the summer that they would wait a year before attempting to sign him.
Liverpool attempted to strengthen their midfield in the summer with the loan signing of Arthur but the Brazilian has been out injured for most of the season.
Real Madrid and numerous other clubs are interested in signing Bellingham but the latest reports claim that Liverpool have a ‘feeling’ that the Dortmund star is ‘keen’ on a move to Anfield.
And Reds legend Gerrard thinks Bellingham is the midfielder that Liverpool need to get back to their best.
When asked which midfielder he would like Liverpool to sign, Gerrard told BT Sport: “Right now the obvious one is Jude Bellingham on the back of the World Cup and what he’s doing at Dortmund.
“The way he comes across, the way he speaks about the game, every time I watch him he impresses me.
“He’s the obvious one because I do think that Hendo [Jordan Henderson] is adapting his game, covering Trent [Alexander-Arnold] on that right side.
“Thiago is more of a footballer and Fabinho stays deeper, so Liverpool lack that running No. 8 who can arrive in the box. Bellingham has got that power, that burst, that drive that can leave someone for dead.
“He ticks all those boxes but it’s important we don’t become obsessed with one midfielder. It’s Liverpool Football Club, everyone around the world knows that Liverpool will be looking and scouting for midfielders.”
When asked whether Liverpool’s current trajectory would impact their ability to sign Bellingham, Gerrard added: “The timing of your question is not fair because we’re down in the middle of the table right now.
“But I’m sure Jude’s bright enough to realise that Liverpool have got one of the best managers in the world and they’ve got a fabulous record of developing players.
“I want him! All he needs to do is send his diary and let me know when he’s got a free day. I’ll fly to Dortmund personally and take him out for a nice dinner and we’ll talk about it!”
There have been links to Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich but Gerrard thinks Bellingham needs to come back to England.
The former Liverpool midfielder continued: “I think it’s important he stays in this country. You talk about Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern, I know he’s doing it at Dortmund now but they are bigger clubs that you could get swallowed up by if you go their too soon.
“In my opinion, coming back to England where he can evolve is very important right now.”
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