"We saw a similar situation with Dele Alli" - Yaya Toure urges media to be careful with England midfielder Jude Bellingham

Manchester City legend Yaya Toure has urged the media to be cautious in hyping up England and Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham, drawing the example of the downfall of Everton ace Dele Alli.

Bellingham, 19, has established himself as a future superstar with his fine outings for club and country of late. Due to his box-to-box presence on the pitch, he has proven to be a crucial cog in Gareth Southgate's setup at the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Since the start of the summer transfer window, the 20-cap England international has been at the center of a transfer saga. Liverpool, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Chelsea are currently in a race for the player, who is valued at over £100 million.

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@brfootball

Jude Bellingham's price keeps going up

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Jude Bellingham's price keeps going up 📈 https://t.co/GBkzx8AWgK

Speaking to The Athletic, Toure heaped praise on Bellingham for his contributions to England's run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He said:

"Bellingham has been the star of all of England's matches. He's scoring, he's passing and the timing of his box-to-box runs are perfect. He's in good shape and came into this tournament with the right confidence from Dortmund. You can tell he sees himself as a potential top player, and wants to show it at the World Cup."

Issuing a warning to the media, Toure continued:

"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's important for everyone to be protective of Bellingham for his development, because it's clear that he has a bright future."

Toure lauded the gifted teenager's temperament and compared him to Argentina and Barcelona great Javier Mascherano. He added:

"His mentality, his focus, his determination to win at 19 is not normal. In my career, I mostly saw it in South American players, with Javier Mascherano being a good example. But I've also seen it in Gavi. More young English players need what Bellingham has."

Bellingham is next scheduled to feature for England in their 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-final tie against France on Saturday (10 December).

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Jude Bellingham is the first player to score a goal and provide an assist at a World Cup before turning 20 years old since Lionel Messi in 2006 🤯

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Jude Bellingham is the first player to score a goal and provide an assist at a World Cup before turning 20 years old since Lionel Messi in 2006 🤯 https://t.co/mYUzFqzbQ0

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Yaya Toure comments on England's 2022 FIFA World Cup QF opponents France

Speaking to The Athletic, Yaya Toure claimed that defending champions France are set to be a massive hurdle for England in their upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup knockout fixture. He elaborated:

"France will be a big test. They are a top team, the 2018 World Cup winners, and they are very well organised. It's so difficult to break them open in their 4-4-2. Individually, they have quality and collectively, they are strong. They have been playing with each other for six, seven years and they have that consistency."

Toure highlighted France and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star Kylian Mbappe, as well as Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham, as two potential game-changers. He added:

"Mbappe is in red-hot form but so is Bellingham. That's the head-to-head, because those are the two players who can open the game. His movement will be vital, and England will need their other special talents, like Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka, to turn up and the more experienced players to guide them."

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