Troy Deeney has warned Liverpool against signing two Chelsea players this summer and predicted where England sensation Jude Bellingham will end up.
Liverpool have shelved their interest in Bellingham due to the money involved in such a deal, but Jurgen Klopp is still keen to bolster his midfield options.
The Reds have expressed interest in Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, while fellow Blues star Conor Gallagher has emerged as another possible target for the Anfield club.
But former Premier League striker Deeney doubts Mount and Gallagher would ‘change the mood of the club’ and says the duo are ‘younger versions of what Liverpool already have’.
‘It seems as if Liverpool are keen to sign Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher from Chelsea,’ Deeney told The Sun.
‘Now, they are two decent players and a lot younger than their current midfield, which clearly needs some refreshing.
‘But those two are not players who would go to Anfield and change the whole mood of the club. They are more like younger versions of what Liverpool already have.
‘Jude Bellingham would have been that game-changer but I’m not sure he would ever have chosen them above Real, for instance.
‘And now that Jurgen Klopp’s team won’t be among the European elite next season, that is even clearer.
‘It feels like Liverpool are deliberately lowering the expectations of their supporters ahead of the summer transfer market because so many of those fans seemed convinced that Jude would be the player to revitalise their team.’
While Liverpool have seemingly pulled out of the race to sign Bellingham, the England midfielder still has his pick of clubs with Real Madrid, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea all interested in securing his services.
The 19-year-old has thrived at Borussia Dortmund since leaving Birmingham City in 2020, impressing in the Bundesliga and Champions League as well as becoming a key member of Gareth Southgate’s England squad.
A number of pundits have urged Bellingham to come back to England this summer but Deeney reckons the teenager will join Champions League holders Real Madrid.
He added: ‘Many people assume that Jude, who has never played in the Premier League, will fancy a return to English football, but I’m not so sure.
‘Kids of his generation grew up in the Messi-Ronaldo era and most of them know more about Real and Barcelona than any English clubs. There is a real lure for them in playing for either of those Spanish giants.
‘Just imagine being Jude, though. He is still only 19 and he seems to have all of the world’s biggest and most glamorous clubs desperate to sign him.
‘If that was me, my head would explode. It would be the same for most teenage lads.
‘But Jude is still totally at his game, aiming for the Bundesliga title with Dortmund. His head doesn’t seem to have been turned at all.
‘In the summer, if he does move, he will be looking around and asking, “What is the best project for me?”
‘And that wasn’t going to be the Reds, given that they are extremely unlikely to be playing Champions League football and they need an entire midfield overhaul. For me, the Santiago Bernabeu is his most likely destination.’
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