Liverpool have been urged to move for West Ham United captain Declan Rice if they’re unable to complete the signing of Dortmund superstar Jude Bellingham.
The Reds failed to sign a midfielder on a permanent basis last summer and had to settle for the loan capture of Arthur Melo.
Injuries and poor form have seen Liverpool’s midfield come in for fierce criticism and, with Jordan Henderson, Thiago and James Milner over the age of 30, the Reds are in desperate need to bring their average age down.
Bellingham, 19, has been on Liverpool’s radar for the last two years but his departure from Dortmund has always been pencilled in for 2023.
Liverpool are expected to battle the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City for his signature at the end of the season but he’s valued at around £120m by the German giants and the competition is stiff.
The Reds’ owners spent less than that in the last summer transfer window, despite the club’s need to strengthen.
And Jamie Redknapp believes Rice is a viable alternative for the Reds if they don’t win the race for Bellingham.
‘James Milner, Jordan Henderson, Thiago… they’re not young men in the engine room,’ Redknapp told Sky Sports.
‘I think they may need to add one or two to take the burden off them. Of course, they’ve had injuries as well, that hasn’t helped.
‘The dream for all Liverpool fans, and the Premier League to some extent, would be for Jude Bellingham to come. He’d be the person who would fit into that midfield. He’s a generational player, an incredible footballer. Jurgen Klopp, I’d imagine, has his heart set on him. He can do everything in that area.
‘But if you can’t get him, who is the other one? Declan Rice in the summer may be an option. They’ve got to be in the market for someone like him as well. That area is definitely getting tired. The legs aren’t there, which we’ve been so used to seeing.
‘We have all got so much respect for the manager but he’s searching for the right recipe. The right areas in midfield to make things happen again.’
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