An England defender has shared remarkable efforts made by Liverpool players in attempting to convince Jude Bellingham to join their team.

 

England defender Conor Coady has described the efforts made by two Liverpool players as they sought to persuade Jude Bellingham to join the club.

Jude Bellingham is widely recognized as one of the premier talents in world football today. Excelling in La Liga with Real Madrid and shining on the international stage for England during Euro 2024, the 20-year-old tops the global transfer market value rankings on Transfermarkt.

With Bellingham’s impending departure from Borussia Dortmund after the 2022/23 season clear, numerous clubs eagerly vied for his signature. England defender Conor Coady disclosed that alongside former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, Trent Alexander-Arnold made earnest efforts to persuade Bellingham to join them at Anfield.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5’s Football Daily podcast, Coady remarked, “I think Hendo and Trent tried with Jude, at the World Cup yeah 100%.”

“They man-marked the life out of him. I think those two tried it, and to be fair, you would, wouldn’t you? Let’s be honest, if you’re at a club like that, of course you would! And you know he’s going to leave in the summer, which was quite common knowledge, and there were all these clubs in for him. So, 100%, you would, without a shadow of a doubt.”

Podcast host Mark Chapman then humorously suggested that he could imagine Henderson and Alexander-Arnold sitting with Bellingham at every England team meal to convince him to join Liverpool.

“Oh, they were! And they were either side of him, and they’d all be talking about how good Liverpool is, Klopp is, and all this sort of stuff,” Coady joked.

The young midfielder chose to join Real Madrid, signing a contract until 2029. Since arriving at the club in 2023, Bellingham has achieved success, winning La Liga, the Champions League, and the Spanish Super Cup. In 42 appearances for Madrid, he has scored 23 goals and provided 13 assists. If England wins the Euro 2024 trophy, Bellingham could become a strong contender for this year’s Ballon d’Or award.

Meanwhile, in the 2023/24 season, Liverpool clinched the Carabao Cup and remained competitive for the Premier League title until the final months.