In many ways, it's easy to see why Liverpool are relaxed over their pursuit of a midfielder this summer.
More often than not, Jurgen Klopp has always steadfastly insisted the Reds' recruitment team go after their first-choice transfer target with gusto rather than having to fall back on Plans B or C.
Players like Alisson Becker, Naby Keita and Virgil van Dijk are proof enough of that strategy. They were three relatively drawn out sagas for a club who usually move with surgical precision in the transfer market.
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Save for the recruitment of deputies like Kostas Tsimikas and, at the time of his arrival, Diogo Jota, when Liverpool had also lined up Jamal Lewis and Ismaila Sarr before settling on the pair back in 2020, when it's time to go big in the window, Klopp will settle for nothing less than Plan A.
After it quickly became apparent that Monaco's Aurelien Tchouameni had eyes only for Real Madrid, the Reds have taken a subdued approach to midfield plans. That's not to say they aren't ongoing, of course, but they are typically keeping their cards close to their chest at present.
After all, this is the collection of players that came within a whisker of quadruple immortality last term. It's not a squad that needs any major surgery on it just now.
It's understood that Jude Bellingham of Borussia Dortmund is someone who is widely admired among the people who matter where recruitment is concerned at Liverpool.
Reports in Germany, from the respected Bild publication, recently stated Bellingham's price tag to sit somewhere near the €120m (£101m) mark, perhaps in an effort from the Dortmund camp to ward off any potential suitors.
So while the general perception might be that Liverpool are being priced out of any move in a summer that has already seen a minimum of £64m laid out for Darwin Nunez, a cursory glance across the rest of European football right now changes that school of thought considerably.
With Real Madrid and Manchester City already adding Tchouameni and Kalvin Phillips to their respective squads, neither are likely to be in the market for another midfielder. Chelsea's new ownership are seemingly transfixed with restructuring their attack as they press on for Raheem Sterling from City and Leeds United's Raphinha.
Manchester United, meanwhile, cannot offer anything other than an exorbitant salary at present as the Erik ten Hag reset button is pressed at Old Trafford. Cristiano Ronaldo is also giving them the most unwanted of pre-season headaches at a time when they are aiming to lure midfielder Frenkie De Jong from Barcelona.
Speaking of the Catalans, their financial situation is said to be close to ruinous, while Dortmund, as a rule of thumb, are always hugely opposed to offloading their stars to fierce domestic rivals Bayern Munich without a real fight.
Paris Saint-Germain have already bolstered their midfield by signing Vitinha from Porto while Juventus have added Paul Pogba to their squad after he left Manchester United as a free agent.
The other European super-clubs have different priorities then, it would seem. Now could be the ideal chance to strike as far as Liverpool are concerned. The queue of potential suitors will certainly be smaller this year.
For Klopp himself, his belief that an overcrowded midfield stunts the development of Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones and Fabio Carvalho is firm and he is also unwavering in his faith in the current crop of senior stars who took the Reds to the Champions League final while also amassing 92 Premier League points and a domestic cup double just a few weeks ago.
It's also understood that the club themselves don't believe there is a negotiation to be had at present with Dortmund, who are desperate to hold on to their midfield star.
But while BVB are understandably reluctant to re-open the shop after the exit of Erling Haaland to Manchester City, for a relatively free run at a player like Bellingham - an England regular who only turned 19 last month - the real question Liverpool must ask themselves is not whether they can afford to try and sign him this window. If he is indeed the prime target, then it's whether they can afford not to.
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