Liverpool discover Bellingham could be a new Patrick Vieira

Fabinho previews Liverpool's Champions League tie at Real Madrid

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Liverpool could be getting their very own Patrick Vieira if they sign Borussia Dortmund starlet Jude Bellingham. According to data, Bellingham’s performances this season have mirrored those of Vieira when the Frenchman led the Arsenal Invincibles to the 2003-04 Premier League title. 

The England teen is set to have the pick of Europe’s biggest clubs in the summer. Liverpool and Real Madrid supposedly lead the race to sign the midfielder from Dortmund but face having to spend upwards of £100million. 

Liverpool are desperate to complete a major overhaul of their midfield. Bellingham is believed to be their top target, with Jurgen Klopp known to be a huge fan of England’s most highly-rated talent. 

And Klopp could have his own Vieira if Liverpool win the hotly-contested battle to sign Bellingham. Data suggests that the 19-year-old is the closest current player to Arsenal’s all-conquering captain of the mid-2000s. 

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According to data from Stats Bomb, a platform that Liverpool.com reports is widely relied on at Anfield, the most statistically similar player to the 2003-04 version of Vieira is Bellingham. The Three Lions starlet is similar in several areas, including his preference to dribble, his ability to win fouls and his desire to win tackles. 

Bellingham also scores his fair share of goals, bagging a career-best 10 strikes this term. Vieira was also able to bag crucial goals from midfield. 

The data has also given Liverpool another player who is very similar to Vieira. Real Madrid talent Eduardo Camavinga possesses similar strengths to the former Manchester City man but is just behind Bellingham in the rankings.

Liverpool are desperate to sign Bellingham in the summer as part of a revamp of their midfield. They are expected to sign at least a couple of players for the position, which has been left stagnant in recent years. 

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Despite being sixth in the Premier League, Liverpool believe they can still convince Bellingham to sign. Klopp expects several signings regardless of where his team finish. 

“You heard about Jude, that’s a different subject. In general, it always makes things more difficult in general. We are still Liverpool, a big club, it’s not that we can’t do nothing, we will have transfer business,” Klopp said in February. 

“We have to, it’s 100 per cent clear in the summer we have to make changes, it’s clear everyone knows that it will happen. In the end, how much? It’s not in my hands exactly what we can but we are in constant talks and everybody knows exactly what we need.”

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