Callum Wilson has admitted that he would ‘obviously’ love Jude Bellingham to sign for Newcastle United, but believes it is ‘too soon’ for the Magpies to sign a player of his calibre.
The Newcastle number nine was speaking on the return of the Footballer’s Football Podcast, alongside West Ham striker Michail Antonio. It is the first episode since the World Cup, where Wilson played alongside Bellingham for England. They were knocked out in the quarter finals, beaten by eventual runners-up France.
But it was a tournament to remember for Bellingham, who really made his mark on the world stage. The 19-year-old was one of England’s best players, and showed an incredible level of maturity as he started every game for Gareth Southgate.
Bellingham’s performances in Qatar increased speculation over a move away from Borussia Dortmund, with fans incredibly eager to see him ply his trade in the Premier League.
Liverpool have been heavily linked with signing the £100million-rated midfielder, but it remains unclear where his future lies.
Now Wilson and Antonio have discussed the teenager, with the former explaining why a move to St James’ Park is sadly not on the cards.
Callum Wilson explains why Jude Bellingham won’t join Newcastle
Speaking on the latest episode of the Footballer’s Football Podcast, Wilson talked about playing alongside Bellingham, and where he could end up in the future.
Wilson: “He was good. It was the first time I’d seen him play because when I was in the squad last he was probably 16. But he was good. He is a solid midfielder, he has everything, great feet, strong, quick, can finish. So the world is his oyster.”
Antonio: “I’ve changed my mind by the way I think he should come to the Premier League. I think if he comes to Liverpool, what they have done, they have managed to keep Salah and stuff like that. They will rebuild, they will become good again, so I wouldn’t turn down Liverpool just because they’re having a bad season this year.”
Wilson: “Yeah but they might not be playing Champions League football next year and he needs to be playing on the biggest stage.”
Antonio: “If you could pick a club for him who would you pick?”
Wilson: “Newcastle obviously! But for us we’re not at that level yet to get a player like Jude. He’s going to be very expensive. I’d love to have him at the club but it’s probably too soon by the way.”
Wilson is right about Bellingham
While it would be an absolute dream to see Bellingham in the Newcastle midfield alongside Bruno Guimaraes, there is absolutely no way we are even in contention to sign him.
As Wilson says, he is going to be very expensive. It would take a club record fee for the Magpies to get him from Dortmund, while the biggest teams in the world are all chasing his signature.
Bellingham is well on his way to becoming a world class talent, and is at a level above where Newcastle are at right now. It is a level we have aspirations of reaching in the near future, but that will take time.
To do that, we need to get our recruitment right, and continue trusting in Sporting Director Dan Ashworth and manager Eddie Howe. They are the ones tasked with carrying the club forward and positioning it for future success.
Signing Bellingham would be incredible, but would cost an insane amount of money. Instead, the Magpies will look at younger talents who could eventually go on to become as good as he is. For example, we are interested in his younger brother Jobe, who currently plays for Birmingham City.
But as Wilson says, it is too soon for Newcastle to be signing the likes of Jude Bellingham – even if the 30-year-old would love to welcome his England teammate to Tyneside.
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