Jermaine Pennant has urged Manchester United to sign Birmingham City starlet Jude Bellingham who he has likened to a ‘young Steven Gerrard’ in an interview with TalkSport.
Bellingham has been linked with a move to Old Trafford with a fee of £50million having been rumoured, due to his rapid rise in the Championship this season.
The 16-year-old midfielder has been involved in seven goals this campaign, scoring four goals and providing three assists but has been warned by Pennant that a move away from St. Andrews could derail his promising career.
Manchester United and Chelsea appear to be leading the race for his signature but Barcelona and Real Madrid are also thought to be interested in the youngster.
Former Liverpool and Arsenal winger Pennant has given his opinion on Bellingham: “He’s a fantastic player. He reminds me of a young Steven Gerrard.”
“He throws himself about, he can get up and down the pitch, he can score goals and assist goals, he’s got trickery. He’s a fantastic young player. And at 16 years of age he’s doing this week in, week out in the Championship.”
“The Championship is a very, very strong, demanding and physical league, and he’s throwing his body about; he’s strong and he’s only going to get stronger.”
“I’m surprised there are not more teams interested in him than just Chelsea and Manchester United because he is a really special talent. What he can achieve in his career is frightening.”
Bellingham has also represented England at international level and is gaining real experience at Championship level whilst playing week in, week out and a move to a ‘bigger club’ could be the wrong move for the teenager at this stage of his career.
