Liverpool continue to be linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham.
The Reds and Jurgen Klopp are well known to be admirers of the England international. However, it remains to be seen if they will actually make a move during the summer transfer window.
The latest report from The Athletic has claimed that it is “increasingly unlikely” that Liverpool will sign Bellingham. It has been reported that the likes of Manchester City and Real Madrid are in a better position to sign the 19-year-old this summer.
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With Bellingham continuing to be a major topic of discussion among Liverpool and football fans in general, here is everything you need to know about the Dortmund midfielder.
When did Jude Bellingham join Borussia Dortmund?
Borussia Dortmund signed Jude Bellingham in the summer of 2020 from Birmingham City.
Bellingham came through the youth ranks with the St Andrew’s club, and made his debut just a month after his 16th birthday in August 2019.
His first goal for Birmingham came just a month later when he scored in their 2-1 win over Stoke City in the Championship.
Bellingham’s one and only season at first-team level for Birmingham saw him score four goals and provide two assists in 44 appearances for the Midlands club, all while 16 years of age.
How much did Borussia Dortmund pay to sign Jude Bellingham?
Borussia Dortmund agreed a deal to sign Jude Bellingham in the summer of 2020.
The deal saw £25m paid up front, with it being reported that there would be “several millions more” in add-ons depending on appearances, achievements and milestones.
Manchester United were also said to be in the mix to sign Bellingham, who made the move to Germany at the age of 17.
At the time he had followed Jadon Sancho, who had also made the move from England to Germany as a teenager.
When does Jude Bellingham’s contract run out?
Jude Bellingham’s contract with Borussia Dortmund is set to run until the summer of 2025, having signed a five-year deal with the Bundesliga club when he joined.
As Bellingham’s importance to Dortmund has increased, there have been reports that the German club wants to hand the midfielder a new contract.
Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl said last month that he would like Bellingham to stay beyond the length of his current deal.
“Jude feels very, very well at Borussia Dortmund. But there are no new talks, let alone requests for him,” Kehl told Sportbild in February.
“We need Jude to achieve our goals this season and we’re glad he’s focused so much on football and has no other issues on his mind at the moment.
“Jude still has two years of contract and is a very important part of this team. That’s why I naturally wish that he would play for BVB longer.”
What clubs are linked with signing Jude Bellingham?
Liverpool are one of the main clubs who have been linked with a move for Jude Bellingham this summer.
They are not alone, though. Manchester City and Real Madrid have also been in the mix for signing the midfielder for quite some time, just like Liverpool.
And in recent weeks, Manchester United have also seen their name linked with signing Bellingham in the summer transfer window.
Despite being in the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich have not yet been credited with an interest in Bellingham.
What is Borussia Dortmund’s asking price for Jude Bellingham?
Various reports have claimed to reveal what price tag Borussia Dortmund have placed on Jude Bellingham’s signature.
The latest rumour came from Spanish news outlet AS, which claimed that an asking price of €140m (£123.7m) had been placed on the midfielder.
Should this fee prove to be true, then it would be a British record if a club from the Premier League signs Bellingham this summer.
The current biggest transfer fee paid by a British club was recently broken by Chelsea, who agreed to pay £105m to sign Enzo Fernandez from Benfica, after meeting the midfielder’s release clause.
Why does Jude Bellingham wear the number 22 shirt?
Jude Bellingham’s former youth coach, Mark Dodds, revealed last year why the midfielder wears the number 22 shirt.
Dodds coached Bellingham at youth level at Birmingham, and was also head of the club’s academy.
“He would have been about 13 or 14 and like most boys that age, they want to be a No 10,” Dodds told talkSPORT in December.
“And I remember, we sat down with him and we said, 'we think you’re doing yourself a disservice, we think you can do all of it. So we came up with, ‘we think you can be a 22’. His eyes lit up and we knew we had hooked him from then on in!
“We said we thought he could be a holding midfielder, or a four. We thought he could be a box-to-box, which is an eight. And we thought he could be a scorer and a creator, so a 10.
“And from the age of 13 onwards he has held on to that all the way through and you can see that in his game. He made his debut at Birmingham City and he said, ‘I want my squad number to be number 22’, and said the same thing at Dortmund.”
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