Owen claims Liverpool sign ‘world beaters’ in Man Utd dig; Bellingham discusses transfer links

Michael Owen has defended Liverpool when comparing how they and Man Utd have fared in the transfer market, as Jurgen Klopp’s team sign “world beaters”.

Liverpool have been questioned at the start of this season as they have suffered disappointing defeats against Manchester United and Napoli.

The Reds spent big to sign Darwin Nunez in the summer and they also brought in Arthur Melo, Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsay.

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Liverpool’s track record in the transfer market is better than most clubs. They often show patience and restraint as they wait for their main targets to become available.

Man Utd meanwhile tend to be more frantic when they do their business. The signings of Antony, Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez took their summer spending spree to over £200m.

Liverpool currently find themselves two places and three points adrift of Man Utd in the table. Last time out they were hammered 4-1 by Napoli in the Champions League group stages.

When discussing this display, Owen decided to take aim at Man Utd:

“It’s very rare that five players play well and five players stink the place out, you normally play well as a team and poorly as a team — it affects everybody,” Owen told BT Sport.

“When there’s no pressing from the front, all of a sudden the defence looks vulnerable then they make mistakes, it’s a chain reaction.

“Liverpool over the years, no matter who they’ve signed, have been world beaters, then teams like Manchester United over the last 10 years no matter who they’ve signed look like they’ve never played football before it’s changed now.

“But what I’m trying to say is it’s very easy to bring a player into the team or for all the players to play well at the same time it is a team game.

“We’ve seen that with Liverpool, they either play well or flounder like they did the other night.”

Jude Bellingham is one potential target Liverpool continue to be linked with.

The Englishman is set to become available next summer and Fabrizio Romano has hinted that the midfielder will be at the centre of a transfer saga.

Bellingham’s Borussia Dortmund travel to face Man City at the Etihad on Wednesday night. Ahead of this game, he has insisted that he is “focused” on performing well for the German side:

“First of all, I’m here to help Borussia Dortmund win the game. If I can play well and showcase my talents, it is a bonus,” Bellingham told reporters.

“But I’m here to win for Borussia Dortmund and I’m very happy here at the minute and I’m focused on all of the goals we have as a team and I’m not looking past that.

“The club have done loads for me and made me feel very welcome since I first came and gave me the opportunities to develop even further. To look past that and into the future would be disrespectful.

“It’s not something I am thinking about, to be honest.

“It’s a massive game against Man City. To even be thinking about something like that would be crazy.”