Christian Falk reiterated that Liverpool will face serious competition for Jude Bellingham’s signature this summer, though could be aided in that pursuit should Real Madrid focus their efforts on Josko Gvardiol.
Valued in excess of €100m (£87.5m), RB Leipzig’s asking price for the Croatian star could force Carlo Ancelotti’s men into making a difficult decision.
“There is some good news for Liverpool, as Madrid are also interested in Joško Gvardiol and it’s not realistic for them to pay for both as Gvardiol would be an over €100m deal, as would Bellingham,” the BILD journalist exclusively revealed to CaughtOffside.
It’s worth noting that both Manchester City and, perhaps, the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United may have something to say even with Los Blancos potentially out of the race.
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On our part, we’ll be hoping that one report from Football Insider asserting that the Englishman has already expressed a preference for a switch to Anfield over the Etihad or Stamford Bridge is accurate.
Even should Madrid decide that a move for Bellingham would make more sense at this time, we have to express a degree of confidence in our ability to attract such a player.
The absence of Champions League football will complicate matters significantly, it has to be said, though with the player known to prioritise his development over earning potential, the playing field does level out somewhat regardless of current achievements.