Pep Guardiola says Germany has been good for ‘whole package’ Jude Bellingham

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has called Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham the “whole package” but suggested his development might have been stifled if he had stayed in England.

The 19-year-old Bellingham scored against City in each of their last two meetings with Dortmund, albeit in losing causes as Guardiola’s side came from behind in both, and will be out to cause more problems in Tuesday’s Champions League clash.

Bellingham followed the path of Jadon Sancho, who turned down a new City contract to join Dortmund in 2017 when he left boyhood club Birmingham for Westphalia two years ago, but the decision has paid off handsomely thanks the club’s policy of promoting youth.

Guardiola, who meticulously managed Phil Foden’s development at City, suggested Bellingham would not have got the same opportunities on the east side of Manchester or at any of the Premier League’s other top clubs.

“I think Borussia Dortmund is the perfect place for young talent to come,” he said. “Maybe if Jude Bellingham was in England he would go to City, United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, or Tottenham, maybe he would not get the minutes. The best thing for a young player to be better is to play minutes.

“He was 17 when he arrived but it was not just about his quality, how he was leading, his kicking, going to the referee. This guy was something special in terms of his mentality. Now he is 19 and he is already one of the captains.

“The quality, everybody knows it. The whole package is really good.”

As Bellingham continues to be linked with a big money switch to the Premier League, many City fans are hoping he will follow Ilkay Gundogan, Manuel Akanji, and Erling Haaland in swapping Signal Iduna Park for the Etihad.

Inevitably