It was the news that no Liverpool supporter wanted, but the Reds' long-running pursuit of Jude Bellingham is off, for now at least.
Despite reported interest from European big-hitters like Real Madrid and Manchester City, hopes had been high that an Anfield charm offensive would convince the 19-year-old midfielder that he should start next season in a red shirt on Merseyside. But even if that prospect tickled his fancy, market forces appear to have dictated that such a move is no longer an option for him.
With a suggested asking price of around £130million, plus add-ons, the Borussia Dortmund star is seemingly out of Liverpool's reach, with a wider summer rebuild now believed to be manager Jurgen Klopp's preference as opposed to throwing all his eggs in one basket.
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But whereas the news of a cooling off on Bellingham may seem shocking to supporters today it is not necessarily disastrous tomorrow. Perhaps a long game still needs to be played here.
Only a couple of weeks ago, Real Madrid distanced themselves from a big-money splash on Bellingham, with reports in Spain suggesting that there would be no major signings in the summer. That could pave the way for City or even Manchester United to battle over Bellingham, but another possible outcome is that the under-contract England midfielder doesn't move anywhere at all.
Liverpool's captain Jordan Henderson, who has spent plenty of time on England duty with Bellingham in the past six months, perhaps even suggested as such recently, even though it is clear that he would love to see him at Anfield.
“Listen, I just want him to be the best player he can be," Henderson said. "Of course, if it ended up being Liverpool, that would be amazing. But it’s got to be right for him, and it’s going to be every club you can think of that will want him.
"He has to think about himself and make sure he makes the right decision for his career. But there’s going to be one club that will end up getting him, whether that is now or in a year or two, and it will be a lucky club.”
Bellingham's suggested asking price is so high because Dortmund are under no obligation to sell. The teenager has a contract until the end of the 2024/25 season and if Liverpool are out of the race for him this summer, they will surely be hoping that Europe's hottest property fancies one more year in the Bundesliga before finally returning to English football.
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