Fabrizio Romano has given his latest verdict on a potential move for Jude Bellingham to Liverpool.
90min has reported that the player could be attracted to the idea of a move to Merseyside due to the fact he could play under Jurgen Klopp.
The 19-year-old caught the eyes of many at the World Cup with England, picking up an average rating of 7.34 on Sofascore at the tournament.
Romano stated on his YouTube channel that the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City are also interested in the Borussia Dortmund midfielder – but the German club’s ‘mission’ is to hold onto the player until the end of the season.
He said: “We know that Liverpool are pushing with Jurgen Klopp, that Real Madrid remain in the race, but they want to pay the right money and not crazy money for Jude Bellingham.
“Also, remember Manchester City [are] in the race for the English midfielder, but it’s important to clarify one point: Borussia Dortmund are still convinced to keep the player at least until the end of the season.
“So the mission for Dortmund is to complete the season with Jude Bellingham and then to find the best way in the summer. So at the moment, there are no negotiations for Bellingham to move in January. We know the market is always open, so never say never, but as of now, Borussia Dortmund are really clear and they see Bellingham as part of the project for the second part of the season.”
TIF Thoughts on Romano’s comments…
We believe that a move for Bellingham in the January transfer window is very unlikely, but that Liverpool should do all they can to land him in the summer.
The 19-year-old is an outrageous talent with impressive stats from the last year in many different departments. When compared to midfielders in Europe’s top competitions, Bellingham ranks in the top 7% for progressive passes received and the top 5% for goals scored and dribbles completed (FBref).
Liverpool need to add more talent to their midfield, as it’s an area of the pitch that needs great improvement. The Reds have three players of the age of 30 in that role, while Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are out of contract at the end of next summer.
It’s likely that Bellingham will command a massive fee, and judging by claims from Spain, Klopp has reacted to this by asking the club’s owners to spend around £135m on the Dortmund star.