Lahm: 'Bellingham is the best player in the Bundesliga'
"Choosing the best player of the season is always difficult," Lahm told the official Bundesliga website on December 26. "In a year like this, of course, we can't do without a little World Cup. I think, if I had to choose a player, I would choose Jude Bellingham. He has developed very well, and is an important player. of Borussia Dortmund".
The 2014 World Cup winner also appreciates the opportunity of Jamal Musiala, a 19-year-old attacking midfielder who plays for Bayern. According to him, Musiala plays an important role in most of the club matches at the beginning of the 2022-2023 season and has three good matches at the 2022 World Cup.
Lahm also believes that the injury of Christopher Nkunku, the Bundesliga's best player last season, is part of the reason the race is open for Bellingham and Musiala. During training with France before the World Cup, Nkunku tore a ligament in his knee. The fact that Robert Lewandowski, a two-time Bundesliga Player of the Year and seven-time Bundesliga top scorer, moves to Barca also increases the chances of young players.
Dortmund is ranked sixth in the 2022-2023 Bundesliga, but Bellingham is far more successful personally. In the first 22 matches of the club season, the 19-year-old English midfielder contributed nine goals and three passes. At the World Cup, Bellingham made a strong impression as a midfield conductor, contributing a goal in the 6-2 victory over Iran and a clear pass in the 3-0 win over Senegal. Had Harry Kane not missed a penalty in the quarter-final loss to France 1-2, England could have gone further.
In the first 22 matches of the season with Bayern, Musiala scored 12 goals and 10 passes to clear the ground. However, the 19-year-old German attacking midfielder was not as successful in the World Cup as Bellingham. In three Group E matches, Germany lost 1-2 to Japan, drew 1-1 with Spain and won 4-2 against Costa Rica. Musiala and his teammates shared four points with Spain, but were eliminated due to poor difference.
Last season, Nkunku won the Bundesliga Player of the Year award for scoring 20 goals for Leipzig. Before the injury, the 25-year-old French striker was leading the top scorer race with 12 goals. According to British media, Chelsea is looking to buy Nkunku in January 2023.
Bellingham is also on the radar of Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool and Real. The transfer price of the 19-year-old British star can be up to 120 million USD. In 2020, Dortmund only spent 30 million to buy from Birmingham City, making Bellingham the most expensive 17-year-old player in history.
