Manchester City legend, Yaya Toure, has issued a warning to England about Jude Bellingham becoming another Dele Alli.
Toure, who gave the warning ahead of England’s World Cup quarter-final match against France on Saturday night, said Bellingham’s mentality is not normal at his age.
Bellingham has been in outstanding form for England in Qatar so far, helping Gareth Southgate’s side win three of their four matches.
Europe’s elite are all keen on securing the signature of the Borussia Dortmund attacking midfielder as a result, with Liverpool appearing to be in pole position to sign him.
However, Toure has now warned England about Bellingham potentially becoming their next Alli, a former Tottenham Hotspur star, who burst onto the scene at a young age, but his football career has gone south in recent years.
Alli is currently spending the 2022/23 season on loan at Turkish side Besiktas from Everton, having failed to establish himself at Goodison Park.
“Bellingham has been the star of all of England’s matches for me,” Toure told The Athletic.
“Sometimes he is scoring, sometimes he is passing, and the timing of his box-to-box runs are perfect.
“He is in good shape and came into this tournament [2022 World Cup] with the right confidence from Borussia Dortmund.
“I hope the media are careful with him because we saw a similar situation a few years ago with Dele Alli, who struggled at times with being presented as a leader for club and country.
“It is important for everyone to be protective of Bellingham for his development because it is clear he has a bright, bright future with England.
“His mentality — his focus, his determination to win — at 19 is not normal.”
