Liverpool have abandoned their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, deeming the cost for the English international too high, reports Andy Hunter of The Guardian.
Bellingham, 19, has long been viewed as Liverpool’s top target to rejuvenate an ailing midfield, but the Reds now believe the outlay required to secure his signature would restrict their ability to overhaul Jurgen Klopp’s team.
Dortmund, should they decide to sell, would want roughly £135 million – plus add-ons – for their prized teenager, Hunter notes.
That gargantuan price tag, along with agents’ fees and wages, would tie up funds that could otherwise be used to acquire multiple players. Liverpool retain interest in Chelsea’s Mason Mount, Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, and Matheus Nunes of Wolves. Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch is being monitored, too.
Klopp is concerned that Liverpool run the risk of missing out on those other transfer targets if they engage in a lengthy bidding war focused exclusively on Bellingham. Real Madrid, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea are fellow admirers of the Dortmund star, and the battle for his signature will be among the most hotly contested during the summer window.
Liverpool, sitting eighth in the Premier League amid a disappointing campaign that has highlighted the need to rebuild key areas of the squad, are unlikely to qualify for next season’s Champions League barring a stunning late surge.
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