David Alaba heaps praise on Real Madrid and Liverpool target

Real Madrid defender David Alaba has heaped praise on Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, who has been heavily linked with a 2023 summer move to Liverpool and the Santiago Bernabeu.

Bellingham, who has three years left on his current deal at Signal Iduna Park, has established himself as an indispensable member of the BVB squad over the past two seasons. Since arriving from Birmingham City for an initial £25 million in 2020, the 19-year-old has registered 12 goals and 19 assists in 98 appearances across all competitions.

A dynamic presence in the center of the park, Bellingham was courted by both Real Madrid and Liverpool earlier this summer (via MARCA) to bolster their respective aging midfield departments. But Dortmund succeeded in retaining the player for the 2022-23 season.

Speaking to Welt (via GOAL), Alaba labeled Bellingham one of the best midfield starlets in the world. He said:

"As for Bellingham as a player, I can say that he is one of the greatest midfield talents in the world. And that at a young age! At just 19, he leads the team, doesn't hide and already decides games with his style of play."

Bellingham has started eight matches for Dortmund so far this season, netting twice and contributing one assist in the process.

On the other hand, he has also earned 15 international caps for England since making his debut in a friendly against Republic of Ireland in November 2020. He is pushing to be in the Three Lions' starting line-up for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year.

Bellingham is next expected to feature against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in his team's second UEFA Champions League Group G fixture on Wednesday (September 14).

Liverpool were in pursuit of Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni this summer

Liverpool were eager to sign Aurelien Tchouameni this summer, as per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. The 22-year-old midfielder eventually joined Real Madrid from Monaco in a deal worth up to £85 million in the early days of the 2022 summer transfer window.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said:

"Liverpool only go for a player when they are 100% convinced it's the right player for the project and the club. Who was the player? It was not Jude Bellingham. They really wanted Aurelien Tchouameni. They tried to enter that race until the end."

He added:

"Jurgen Klopp did his best for a deal. He called the player many times. He explained the project and the plan in midfield, but Tchouameni had an agreement with Real Madrid. Klopp really wanted him but sometimes players have different plans."