'Jude all day' – Owen Hargreaves, Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole debate Jude Bellingham and Enzo Fernandez
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Published 15/02/2023 at 21:14 GMT
Jude Bellingham got the pundits' nod ahead of Enzo Fernandez ahead of a hotly anticipated midfield clash between the Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea stars. Joe Cole called Bellingham a "generational talent" and Owen Hargreaves said he will be one of the best players in the world for the next 10 years. Bellingham and £107m man Fernandez clashed in Wednesday's Champions League last 16 tie.
Potter admits 'more pressure and expectation' on Chelsea after spending
Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham was lauded by pundits as a "generational talent" who will be one of the world’s best players ‘for a decade’ ahead of his hotly-anticipated clash with Chelsea’s blockbuster January signing Enzo Fernandez.
The showdown in the centre of the park between England international Bellingham and £107 million man Fernandez was one of the major talking points for BT Sport pundits Owen Hargreaves, Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand.
Fernandez has had a whirlwind two months, winning the World Cup with Argentina before making his British record move to Stamford Bridge after just six months at Benfica.
But when Ferdinand posed the question of which player the pundits would take between the two, Hargreaves was adamant in his response.
“Jude all day,” he said.
“I don’t care what he costs, I would throw everything at him. Because you’ve got one of the best players in the world for a decade.”
Cole added: “Enzo has been unbelievable in the first two games. A lot of Chelsea fans wouldn’t have understood what he brings but he’s an all-round midfielder, he can play, he can lend the ball, his passing range is great, he can score goals.
“Jude is different. I think Jude’s a generational talent. I don’t think we’ve seen a player as good as him for many years, he’s got everything. So even I would put Jude slightly above Enzo Fernandez, although they are different types of players.”
Fernandez was picked in Graham Potter’s starting side for their Champions League last 16 first leg clash in Germany, just his third appearance in a Chelsea shirt.
Bellingham, on the other hand, is well established at Dortmund and captained the Bundesliga side for the game – his 118th appearance in all competitions for the club.
“This kid (Fernandez) has shown he can win,” Ferdinand continued.
“He did it at River Plate, he obviously did it with Argentina, a winning mentality at Benfica in that league as well, this kid knows how to win.
“What I like about him as well is his ability to receive the ball but play the pass in the same motion almost. He plays the ball forward so often. The game against West Ham, the pass for (Joao) Felix’s goal, shows that and encapsulates that perfectly.”
Hargreaves added: “I think Enzo is a bit like Jude. He’s so good he can play different positions. We’ve seen him win the World Cup as a deep pivot, but actually he can play further forward.
“So if they go get a defensive one, he'd be a bit more box to box like Jude. Chelsea have got a diamond there. I know they paid for it, but he can do everything.”
“Which is ideal for Graham Potter, who likes to tweak his formations, who likes to ask questions,” Cole continued.
“As a midfielder it’s the same thing, you want to know where everyone is in and around you. When you play against a Graham Potter side with Enzo Fernandez, he can hurt you from deep, he can also run in behind you and hurt you, he can do everything.”
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article