Jude Bellingham: Fabrizio Romano issues ‘crucial’ update on Liverpool, Man City target after new threat emerges
Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on the chase for Jude Bellingham’s signature, with Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid all trying to land him.
Last week, it looked like Liverpool were down and out in the Bellingham hunt. David Ornstein of The Athletic reported that the Reds would struggle to sign him due to the huge money required, plus the fact they are wary about getting into a bidding war.
However, Romano soon reignited Liverpool hopes by staying that ‘nothing is over’ yet as Bellingham has not actually made a final decision.
Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson then publicly revealed his hopes of playing alongside the Borussia Dortmund star at club level by admitting it would be ‘amazing’ if he arrived at Anfield.
TEAMtalk provided an exclusive update on Bellingham’s situation recently. We understand that Dortmund are growing increasingly confident about keeping him for an extra year, in what would be a huge twist.
If Dortmund are to sell Bellingham, then it will only be for a club-record amount. The German side’s current record departure is the €144million Barcelona spent on winger Ousmane Dembele in 2017.
READ MORE: Liverpool ‘mouths watering’ over €45m defender deal as contact is established over summer transfer
Therefore, if the England international is to secure a transfer this summer, then one of his potential suitors will need to pay around £127m.
In a major boost for Liverpool and City, Real are unlikely to submit an offer worth this amount. The La Liga outfit have decided the highest they will go is £105m, according to Spanish outlet AS. It is now up to Liverpool and City to decide whether they are willing to spend such a huge sum of money on one player.
Transfer specialist discusses Jude Bellingham future
During an interview with CaughtOffside, Romano reacted to the latest Real rumours and provided a brief but ‘crucial’ update on how Bellingham will be convinced to leave Dortmund.
“I’m not aware of any spending cap honestly when it comes to what Real Madrid will be prepared to pay for Jude Bellingham,” the journalist said. “It’s about convincing Bellingham — that is the crucial point for Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester City.”
Several pundits have speculated over whether Bellingham would still be open to joining Jurgen Klopp’s side if they did not qualify for next season’s Champions League. The Reds currently sit in sixth, seven points off fourth-placed Tottenham. However, they do have two games in hand.
Missing out on UCL qualification would certainly aid City and Real’s respective pursuits of Bellingham. However, it will not completely rule Liverpool out of the race.
Bellingham is very mature for his age and knows that playing regularly in a team with a certified project is better than chasing trophies. Therefore, he could still move to Liverpool if Klopp explains his plan for getting the club back to the summit of English and European football.
The transfer sagas surrounding Bellingham and fellow Bundesliga ace Josko Gvardiol look set to be two of the most talked about heading into the summer window. Premier League clubs will be firmly in the mix, although Real can never truly be written off.
Meanwhile, a Liverpool player has been ‘offered’ to AC Milan, in a move which would see him reunite with Divock Origi.
