Liverpool Out Of Race To Sign Long Time Target Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund
Liverpool have decided not to pursue a deal for Jude Bellingham this summer as the cost of signing the England international would restrict the planned overhaul of Jürgen Klopp’s squad.
Bellingham is expected to command a record price for an English player, topping the £100m City paid for Jack Grealish, but Liverpool’s budget may be reduced as they are unlikely to qualify for the Champions League.
However, there is a growing possibility the former Birmingham player, who is under contract until 2025, will stay in Germany for one more year.
Price Tag To High For Liverpool Amidst Building Up Squad.
Bellingham has been a leading transfer target for Liverpool for more than a year but the overall price of signing the 19-year-old midfielder alongside the possibility that Borussia Dortmund might refuse to sell has led to the club pulling out of the race. James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who are all out of contract in the summer, could leave, along with on-loan Arthur Melo.
Dortmund are believed to want around £135m plus add-ons should they decide to sell their prized asset this summer, with Bellingham’s valuation rising considerably since his impressive displays at the World Cup. The combined package of the transfer fee, agents’ fees plus the player’s lucrative salary would severely limit Liverpool’s ability to sign other players this summer.
Liverpool Will Look Upon Getting Multiple Signings Instead
After a season that has exposed the need for a major overhaul of the squad, and could result in failure to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since Klopp’s debut campaign, the club’s hierarchy believes their resources should be spread elsewhere.
Klopp has told the club’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, to move swiftly on transfer deals having lost out to Real Madrid in pursuit of the midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni last summer. A drawn-out battle for Bellingham’s signature would increase the risk of other targets moving elsewhere and Liverpool accepts they cannot afford to miss out on several alternative options. Chelsea’s Mason Mount, Brighton’s Moisés Caicedo, Matheus Nunes of Wolves and Ryan Gravenberch of Bayern Munich are among the midfielders of interest.
