Richard Keys makes controversial Liverpool claims over Jude Bellingham and Virgil van Dijk
Following another league loss for Liverpool, this time against Manchester City away from home, beIN Sports pundit Richard Keys questioned why the Reds’ top transfer target Jude Bellingham would want to join the Merseysiders when they are struggling and spoke about Virgil van Dijk in a jibe at him as well.
Moreover, he also spoke about how Virgil is a shadow of the player he was and does not have the same effect on games he once had. The loss to City proved to be extremely expensive as the Reds dropped two places to eighth in the league table, and further away from a UCL spot.
The Champions League obviously plays a huge role in determining whether or not a top player would join a club. With the Reds swaying further away from that spot, Keys questioned whether Bellingham would be willing to join a struggling club, finding it tough to qualify for the Champions League.
Here is what he said on Bellingham, while including Van Dijk in his comments as well via ECHO:
“Three of your back four you need to move on, your two full-backs have gone and Van Dijk is not good enough anymore. The three in midfield are either too old or not good enough. It’s a huge job. I’m Jude Bellingham looking at that and thinking ‘I don’t think so’.”
Securing UCL qualification is a must for the Reds
While there are no doubts that Virgil van Dijk is a top-class talent, the drop-off is certainly extremely visible and he certainly needs to get back to his usual levels to support the club in their pursuit of a top-four finish. Keys spoke about how the full-backs have “gone” and the midfield is also not enough.
While his comments on the midfield are true, the dip in forms of full-backs is certainly revertable and that is in the hands of the players to do justice to the starting role they have been handed in the Liverpool XI.
Without Champions League football, it will be difficult for Liverpool to attract the players they want. The financial implications of not qualifying for the competition are significant, with the loss of revenue impacting the club’s ability to compete with the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle United in the transfer market.
With games against Arsenal, Chelsea and Leeds United to come, the Reds will need to be at their best to secure maximum points from those fixtures. Of course, it is a tough task, but it is crucial for the Reds when it comes to securing their ideal transfer targets.
More Liverpool News:
- Real Madrid set price limit of £88m for the transfer of Liverpool target Jude Bellingham
- Liverpool still ‘hold interest’ in World Cup star Sofyan Amrabat
- Jurgen Klopp rips into Liverpool players after 4-1 Manchester City loss
With nine games left to play, Liverpool must put all their efforts into securing a top-four finish, or risk being left behind in the transfer market which will have its effect on the Reds next season in terms of not being able to compete.
