Liverpool are reportedly now out of the race for Jude Bellingham this summer, though the club are believed to be ‘unsure’ if the Englishman will even depart Borussia Dortmund at this time.
This comes courtesy of an update from Chris Bascombe at The Telegraph, despite confirmation from Jan Aage Fjortoft that the Merseysiders had already tested the waters with an opening bid for the Englishman.
“Cynics will wonder if the Merseyside club are declaring themselves out having already learned others are a preferred option, however one of the reasons Liverpool are backing out early is they are unsure if Bellingham will leave this summer, and cannot afford to be drawn into a summer saga and bidding war with clubs if he does move,” the reporter wrote. “Klopp wants his business completed as soon as possible.”
It seems that, if the reports claiming as much are totally accurate, Jurgen Klopp’s men will now be focusing their attentions on alternative targets, with the likes of Mason Mount and Matheus Nunes remaining viable options in that regard.
READ MORE: Reliable journo can ‘confirm’ huge Jude Bellingham news coming out of Liverpool
Whilst it’s entirely possible that Bellingham will opt for another club to continue his development, even if Liverpool aren’t available as a potential suitor, we can’t help but hope that the 19-year-old might consider fulfilling BVB’s wishes of a prolonged stay to get his ideal move.
Whether we are indeed considered by the player his ‘ideal move’ remains to be seen, though it would bolster our chances of landing the player at a later date.
Ultimately, it has to be remembered (“tinfoil hat territory” or no), that the club has been far from totally honest with its intentions with prior big money purchases, as has been well demonstrated by Sam McGuire recollecting Paul Joyce’s Alisson Becker declaration back in 2018.
— Sam McGuire (@SamMcGuire90) April 11, 2023
Whether such circumstances repeat themselves this summer and Liverpool land the midfielder of their dreams in Jude Bellingham remains to be seen.
But we’ve certainly got history for such dramatic statements before performing a transfer u-turn in the following window.