Gareth Southgate suggests Premier League transfer will benefit Jude Bellingham
England manager Gareth Southgate has suggested prodigious midfielder Jude Bellingham may have to leave "inconsistent" Borussia Dortmund and move to the Premier League to reach the top of the game.
The 18-year-old is likely to be given minutes when England host Ivory Coast in a friendly at Wembley on Tuesday night, although he has generally been used sparingly by Southgate since breaking into the Three Lions squad - starting just three times in 11 caps since his first call-up in November 2020.
Speaking about why Bellingham's chances have been limited ahead of facing the Ivorians, Southgate admitted that although it was an ideal place for players to hone their skills, he believes the standard of the Premier League is "undoubtedly higher" than the Bundesliga.
"The league is definitely a brilliant league for young players and coaches to develop but of course the standard of the Premier League is undoubtedly higher, I think we see that in the European competitions," he said.
"Our top teams are going to be right at the end of the Champions League every year, the financial power of our league is blowing everyone else out of the water so our big teams are going to be the main players in those competitions as they have been in the last years really."
However, Southgate was also clear that Bellingham has developed "exceptionally" in the Bundesliga with Dortmund, although there are some elements of his game that he needs to improve.
"We’ve talked to him about his game this week," he continued. "There are things, understandably for any player, for him to work on and for him some specifics we are looking for from him. But he is very coachable, wants to learn and is highly motivated.
"He is already getting brilliant experiences with club and European football already so he’ll be involved in the game and it will be good to see how he does. He is developing exceptionally well for a player of his age. He is being asked to play in a number of different positions this year.
"Dortmund have played 3-4-3 where he has been one of the double pivots, 4-3-3 where he plays as one of the 8s and a diamond where he has played on the outside of a diamond. He has different tactical challenges to deal with. The team have been a bit inconsistent."
The teenager has been linked with a host of top European clubs including Liverpool, Man Utd and Chelsea with Real Madrid also rumoured to be planning a move for the midfielder in 2023.