Jude Bellingham vs Enzo Fernandez: Who should Liverpool sign?
By Henry Burt
It's football's worst-kept secret at this point that Liverpool need a new midfielder.
The Reds' midfield has looked incredibly worn-out at times this season, with Jordan Henderson on the decline and Thiago Alcantara struggling for fitness.
Holding midfielder Fabinho has looked a shadow of the player he was in 2019, while the likes of Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho are still a long way from being the finished article.
The drop-off in quality in the middle of the park has made Liverpool far less effective at their intense pressing style, making them easier to play through and horribly exposing their defensive line - as Trent Alexander-Arnold will attest.
The good news is that Jurgen Klopp could have a new midfielder to play with soon enough. 90min understands Moroccan World Cup star Sofyan Amrabat is high on the wish list, but the real fun could come in the summer when £100m+ price tags will come into play.
The two big names being linked with a move to Anfield at present are Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham and Benfica's Enzo Fernandez. Both are young, hungry talents with immense ability and potential, each having had a stellar World Cup with their respective nations that has sent their transver value skyrocketing.
Either player would be a great signing - but which one is a better fit for Liverpool at this moment in time?
Jude Bellingham
How we all laughed a couple of years ago when Birmingham City retired the shirt number of 16-year-old Jude Bellingham after he made the move to Borussia Dortmund. Turns out they knew something we didn't.
Now aged 19, Bellingham is already an absolute monster and will only get better in the years to come. Impeccably composed on the ball, with the ability to beat a man, time a run or pick a pass, the Dudley-born dynamo can essentially operate as whatever kind of midfielder he needs to be for the occasion.
There's more than a touch of Gini Wijnaldum in the way Bellingham plays - a man whose influence Liverpool have sorely missed in the past 18 months. Dortmund will encourage a bidding war for Bellingham to receive the best possible fee, but Liverpool need to pounce if there's any chance of him going to Anfield.
Enzo Fernandez
Enzo Fernandez only joined Benfica five months ago for a fee of €10m, but the 21-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise since then.
After making his debut for the senior Argentina side in September, Fernandez became the second-youngest player to score for La Albiceleste at the World Cup with a gorgeous finish against Mexico. Fernandez's influence in the side only grew from there, resulting in him winning Young Player of the Tournament as Argentina won the famous trophy for the third time.
In terms of playing style, Fernandez operates most frequently as a deep-lying playmaker, breaking up play and recycling possession. Like Bellingham, he is notably versatile and can essentially play anywhere in midfield due to his passing range and lack of major weaknesses; however, he is much more of a traditional number six to Bellingham's eight.
Verdict
After the World Cup campaigns these two players had, their transfer value has inflated beyond belief. Liverpool will most likely have to pay north of £100m to land either of these players, with Bellingham probably closer to the £150m mark at this point.
Fernandez is an excellent young player with a bright future ahead of him and we will almost certainly see him in the Premier League sooner or later. In Liverpool's case, however, Bellingham may be the better fit for the team Klopp has built.
As a deep-lying midfielder, Fernandez would likely find himself competing with Fabinho for playing time. While Fabinho has been seriously off the ball this season, the Brazillian is too young to be past his best and is likely suffering from a mixture of exhaustion and the consequences of Liverpool's other midfielders ageing.
Bellingham, on the other hand, would slot straight into the Reds' midfield and be able to play next to the midfielders who still have a future at the club. His movement and energy would allow him to contribute to attacks, while he possesses the positional and defensive acumen to allow a more attack-minded player like Elliott to roam forwards. On top of that, he's home-grown, which is always an added bonus for Premier League clubs.
These are two of world football's greatest young midfield talents, and either one would represent quite the coup for Liverpool. Ultimately, though, it is Bellingham who makes more sense for the club at this moment in time.