The head coach of the England national team, Gareth Southgate has rated the standards of the Premier League above the Bundesliga, stressing that the German league is holding back the football career of Jude Bellingham.
Coach Gareth Southgate went further to note that the German Bundesliga is merely good for young players and coaches to develop.
While trying to illustrate why the Premier League standard is higher than the standard of the German Bundesliga, coach Southgate noted that the English clubs often do better in the UEFA Champions League. He also noted that the high financial investment in the Premier League clubs has made it easier for the players in the league to be the best in major competitions.
Note that Jude Bellingham started his football career in England. His development started at the Birmingham, a Championship club. Towards the 2020 summer transfer, a series of Premier League clubs, including Manchester United tried to sign him but he decided to leave England for Germany.
On July 23, 2020, Borussia Dortmund paid Birmingham €25 million for the services of the English teenager. He joined the German club because he believed that the club and the German league would help him to develop better.
Within a short while, Jude Bellingham’s expectation that he would become a better player in Germany came to pass. The 18-year-old central midfielder is now one of the most important players at Dortmund and one of the most sought-after teenagers in Europe.
Due to his superb form which has seen him score 10 goals and provided 17 assists in 83 games in all competitions, his transfer market value has risen as high as €75 million.
His form also won the heart of coach Gareth Southgate to the extent he invited him to the senior national team and headed him his debut on November 12, 2020.
Since then, he has been unstoppable at the international level and club level. Jude Bellingham impressed Southgate to the extent he took him to Euro 2020 which took place from June 11 to July 11, 2021.
So far in his international career, the 18-year-old central midfielder has played 10 games for the Three Lions of England. All things being equal, he will play for England in the forthcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Due to the superb form of Bellingham, he is wanted at a series of Premier League clubs despite still having until June 30, 2025, before his contract with Dortmund expires.
The England international who reportedly earns €25,000 per week, 1.3 Million Euros per year at Dortmund, is reportedly wanted at Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool.
As things are going, the possibility of Jude Bellingham moving to a Premier League club during the forthcoming summer transfer window especially now that coach Gareth Southgate has said the Bundesliga is holding back his football career is very high.
📊 – Jude Bellingham in his 10 minute spell vs. Switzerland:
— Bellingham Xtra 🏴💫 (@Bellingham_Xtra) March 26, 2022
Minutes played: 1️⃣0️⃣
Touches: 1️⃣1️⃣
Pass success: 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣%
Successful dribbles: 1️⃣/1️⃣
Accurate long balls: 1️⃣/1️⃣
Clearances: 1️⃣
Recoveries: 1️⃣
Duels won: 1️⃣ pic.twitter.com/L6CI5xnfN3
Gareth Southgate is not a fan of the inconsistency in Borussia Dortmund
Despite the form of Jude Bellingham at Borussia Dortmund, the 18-year-old central midfielder is still not a regular under coach Gareth Southgate. He mostly starts the teenager from the bench.
Ahead of England’s international friendly game against Ivory Coast later today, March 29 at 19:45, the coach said he would play the teenager during the friendly match at the Wembley Stadium.
However, the coach noted that the inconsistency in Borussia Dortmund is affecting Bellingham’s game, urging him indirectly to join a Premier League club.
The coach said: “The league (Bundesliga) is definitely a brilliant league for young players and coaches to develop but of course, the standard of the Premier League is undoubtedly higher, I think we see that in the European competitions.
“Our top teams are going to be right at the end of the Champions League every year, the financial power of our league is blowing everyone else out of the water so our big teams are going to be the main players in those competitions as they have been in the last years really.
“We’ve talked to him about his game this week. There are things, understandably for any player, for him to work on and for him some specifics we are looking for from him. But he is very coachable, wants to learn, and is highly motivated.
“He is already getting brilliant experiences with the club and European football already so he’ll be involved in the game and it will be good to see how he does. He is developing exceptionally well for a player of his age. He is being asked to play in several different positions this year.
“Dortmund have played 3-4-3 where he has been one of the double pivots, 4-3-3 where he plays as one of the 8s, and a diamond where he has played on the outside of a diamond. He has different tactical challenges to deal with. The team have been a bit inconsistent.”
