I saw him for the first time when he was 16 years old,” Cagigao, who worked as an Arsenal scout for nearly a quarter-century, admits. “I wanted to sign him for Arsenal, but he was already too expensive.
Former Arsenal scout Francis Cagigao admits the Gunners couldn’t afford Jude Bellingham when he was at Birmingham City, but believes the Borussia Dortmund star will become a £100 million footballer, according to AS.
The phrase “broken the market” has been bandied about a lot recently. And almost always in tandem with Todd Boehly’s Chelsea.
If Benfica can sell Enzo Fernandez for £106 million after investing £10 million in the former River Plate starlet, how much will Borussia Dortmund demand for arguably the world’s most coveted midfielder?
Dortmund is expected to demand ‘at least £130 million,’ according to The Mail. If agreed upon, the fee would make the England international the world’s fourth-most expensive player, trailing only Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, and Philippe Coutinho.
“I saw him for the first time when he was 16 years old,” Cagigao, who worked as an Arsenal scout for nearly a quarter-century, admits. “I wanted to sign him for Arsenal, but he was already too expensive.
“He’s really good. What is certain is that if they paid that much for Enzo, they will also pay that much for Bellingham.”
While winning the Premier League and qualifying for the Champions League would undoubtedly increase Arsenal’s pulling power and the financial resources available to Mikel Arteta, Bellingham still feels a little rich in excess of £100 million. This could be a battle between a few of the world’s most wealthy clubs, including Real Madrid, Manchester City, and, assuming a takeover, Manchester United.
Danny Murphy, a Liverpool legend, would love to see Jurgen Klopp’s struggling side bring both Bellingham and Declan Rice to Anfield, but this appears to be a pipe dream with under-fire owners Fenway Sports Group seemingly unwilling to break the bank.
“The midfield needs to be refreshed,” Murphy tells talkSPORT. “I would love Bellingham to happen because he is exactly what Liverpool need. But I don’t believe they only require one. I believe they will require two.
“I don’t believe they require anyone up front. You have four center-halves who (Klopp) likes and who are all on long-term contracts. You could argue that he should be a full-back (is needed). But not a central defender.
“So I think why not go hard or go home on two big ones, rather than four or five? Rice and Bellingham entering the midfield with Thiago… (Bellingham) is a legend.”