Chelsea and Liverpool have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Jude Bellingham this summer, despite a difficult season for both clubs. The two Premier League sides have struggled for form this campaign, with the Blues sitting 10th and the Reds occupying eighth.
It's a far cry from last season when both sides were in the discussion for the title race as well as battling it out in both finals of the domestic cup competitions. A rebuild is in order for the pair, with the Reds in need of a refresh in their midfield ranks while the Blues have already spent half-a-billion-pounds under their new ownership.
"Challenge is the right word but I'm certainly not complaining about it," Graham Potter said earlier this month on the transfer spend so far. "I mean, it's exciting, it's a test for me of course and for the staff and everybody but it's an exciting one. We've got a lot of really good players, we have to create an environment where there's competition. We've got a lot of important games and we need to improve our results."
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Both Chelsea and Liverpool are in need of further reinforcements though, with Jude Bellingham being one of the hot prospects of the summer. There will be concerns that a failure to reach the Champions League for either may drive the England international away from a switch.
However, according to journalist Christian Falk, that may not be the case as he told Caught Offside: "I heard that Jude Bellingham is keeping a very close eye on what Liverpool are doing at the moment. I’ve been told nobody should think he’s a player that wouldn’t go to Liverpool because of the difficult situation they’re in.
"It’s the other way around – he’s actually the kind of guy who would love to go to a club where he can change their fortunes. At Liverpool, he sees that the club is in need of him and that he can build something there, so that’s why the side remains an interesting option for him.
"As you see in the Premier League, they’re not massively far away from the Champions League places but it’s important to note that Champions League qualification isn’t a deal-breaker for Bellingham. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt Liverpool’s chances!"
While the discussion was hinged on Bellingham moving to Liverpool, there are clear similarities between the situation of both clubs at this time, meaning it is a boost for Chelsea too. It remains to be seen if they could convince the youngster of joining the side, but it shouldn't be ruled out at this stage.
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