Liverpool are growing increasingly confident that they will win the £100million scramble for England’s rising star Jude Bellingham.
For the past year Anfield boss Jurgen Klopp has told the club owners that the Borussia Dortmund was his main target and wanted their financial backing. Putting feelers out over the possible sale of Liverpool by the Fenway Sports Group has not altered their promise to support Klopp in his quest to bring youth and energy in the shape of 19-year-old Bellingham to Merseyside.
And it’s believed that Liverpool are ahead of Manchester City, Manchester United and Real Madrid in the pursuit of the midfielder due to an unlikely bromance with Three Lions team-mate Jordan Henderson.
Henderson and Bellingham have hit it off despite there being a 13 -year difference between them. It’s no secret that the Liverpool captain would have, in their spare time in Qatar, been extolling the virtues of a move to Anfield.
And it appears Bellingham’s father Mark - who played a big part in his son choosing to leave Birmingham for Dortmund, despite being handed the red carpet treatment by Manchester United - favours the next move being to the red part of Merseyside.
Dortmund won’t sell next month when the transfer window opens. But they will let Bellingham depart in the summer, providing a fee of around £100million is forthcoming. They are already making plans of their own in seeking a likely replacement.
For his part, Bellingham, who has also grown close to Trent Alexander-Arnold, must decide on his next move and a return to the Premier League looks most likely after Real Madrid splurged £60million on Brazilian sensation Endrick this week. Funds are precious at the Santiago Bernabeu right now, particularly given the renovation of the Champions League holders' stadium.
Bellingham was at his former stomping ground of St Andrew's on Friday night, to witness boyhood club Birmingham City beat Reading 3-2 in the Championship.
The teenage England star was given a standing ovation by Blues fans, who chanted "he's one of our own" as he strolled around the pitch for what was coined by the club as a "final goodbye".
