Whisper it quietly but Liverpool’s midfield injury crisis could be drawing to a close. Jurgen Klopp welcomed Thiago Alcantara back from injury prior to the September international break and while Jordan Henderson's late inclusion in the England fold, despite being left out of their matchday squad against Italy, was a result of him being ahead of schedule and able to return to training.
Meanwhile, Arthur Melo has gained valuable minutes in two outings for the Reds’ Under-21s against Leicester City and Rochdale as he continues to get up to speed following his deadline day loan switch from Juventus, while Klopp has already confirmed that Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain should return by the end of October.
That leaves a question mark hanging over Curtis Jones’ availability, after he suffered a recurrence of the stress injury that has kept him sidelined since the Community Shield, but with Fabinho, Harvey Elliott and James Milner fighting fit and Fabio Carvalho overcoming a dead leg, the end is in sight for Klopp’s walking wounded and a full quota of 10 senior midfielders is almost within touching grasp.
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Of course, that is only a short term solution for Liverpool, having seen their start to the season undermined by an ever-growing injury list. It seems inevitable they will suffer further injuries in midfield throughout the course of the season, given their players’ records, and even without such setbacks, a revamp of their engine room remains very much needed.
After all, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Keita and Milner remain out of contract at the end of the season, while the Reds’ vice-captain, Henderson and Thiago all are firmly on the wrong side of 30. While they have a purchase option in Arthur’s loan contract, it is no surprise that they plan to revamp their midfield in 2023.
It is also an open secret that Jude Bellingham features quite highly on the Liverpool wishlist for when it comes to putting this Reds midfield revamp actually into practice.
“He’s not on the market, so that’s the first problem with that player,” Klopp said when quizzed about speculation linking his side with the 19-year-old. “Actually, it’s the only problem with this player.”
Sure enough, the German was proven right as the summer transfer window closed. Having already sold Erling Haaland to Man City, and with Bellingham poised to star for England at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar this winter, Borussia Dortmund had no intention of letting the midfielder depart and weren’t in a position where they needed to consider sanctioning an exit either.
Next year, it could be a different story, however, with Bellingham expected to follow in the footsteps of Jadon Sancho and Haaland, who have both made big-money transfers away from Dortmund in the past two summers. Admittedly BVB are still hopeful they could keep him and reportedly plan to offer him improved terms in a bid to entice him to stay but, with two years remaining on his current contract, such a resolve will be tested.
As a result, should the midfielder suddenly find himself on the market, the only problem Liverpool will then face is they won’t be the only side chasing his signature. Real Madrid, Man City, Manchester United and Chelsea are all said to retain a strong interest in the England international.
The Reds have been in the market for such highly-coveted talents before, such has been the extent of their transformation under Klopp to return to Europe’s top table, yet despite initial discussions, have ultimately been left disappointed. They have previously touched base with Kylian Mbappe’s representatives to sound out the possibility of a move, only to be priced out of such a switch with Real Madrid seemingly his favoured destination regardless.
Meanwhile, it was Madrid who left Liverpool frustrated this summer when they pondered initiating their midfield overhaul early and held talks with Aurelien Tchouameni, only to realise the France international was not for convincing, with the La Liga giants the subject of his desires as he looked to leave AS Monaco.
Liverpool didn’t target an alternative as a result, with them remaining reluctanct to commit funds on signing a player when Bellingham wasn’t available, and when, in an ideal scenario, they would be financing a deal for such a player a year down the line anyway. As a result, when their hand was finally forced, a loan swoop for Arthur instead transpired as the Reds continued to think longer-term and keep their powder dry.
Of course, there remains the possibility that Liverpool miss out on Bellingham regardless. After all, the Athletic recently reported that Dortmund will demand £131.6m for his signature, with the lack of release clause ensuring he will not be sold for a ‘cut-price’ fee as was the case with Haaland. Yet earlier this summer a figure of £103m was touted, with similar demands publicised for Sancho before he joined Manchester United for £73m.
There remains a fear that the funds required to complete a potential deal for Bellingham, both in terms of fee and wages, could rise considerably should he continue to shine both this season and at the World Cup. The Reds’ interest in the midfielder might date back nearly a decade, to when they first unsuccessfully tried to lure him away from Birmingham City Under-11s following an impressive two-day stint at their Kirkby Academy, but they will have no interest entering an uncontrolled bidding war.
It is a bold strategy from Liverpool if they have indeed decided to wait for Bellingham. Both in terms of putting all their eggs in the one basket despite that risk of missing out, and when considering the potential fee required to sign him would be a significant outlay, a probable Reds’ record purchase and the majority of their would-be transfer budget.
Imagine putting in such work and patience only to miss out, or to part with such finances on one individual player only for him to not settle or be lost to injury.
"If you bring one player in for £100m and he gets injured, then it all goes through the chimney,” Klopp warned after Paul Pogba’s £89m move to Manchester United in 2016. “The day that this is football, I'm not in a job anymore, because the game is about playing together."
If Liverpool do sign Bellingham in the future, Klopp will inevitably be reminded of such comments. Yet the Reds evidently feel Bellingham would be worth it, with the club’s recruitment staff viewing him as ‘the complete box-to-box midfielder’, while whichever side signs him will be landing the heart of their engine room for the next decade.
At least Liverpool’s continued links with Bellingham feel different to previous more fanciful pursuits of Mbappe and Tchouameni. Given he grew up idolising Reds legend Steven Gerrard, has developed a close bond with club captain Henderson on international duty and will boast a desire to return to English football, such a transfer certainly seems more achievable, funds permitting.
It remains to be seen just how much Liverpool would be willing to spend on the England international, but FSG have not been shy of parting with big fees for the right players in the past. As a result, the main complication greeting them appears to be potential rival interest.
If the Reds really want to sign Bellingham, they will meet the asking price. But so too will other clubs, and their subsequent wages on offer could differ vastly.
Liverpool won’t break the bank to sign the midfielder. Any contract offer would be within their structure, sticking to their formula of greater prizes await once you deliver at Anfield.
If that’s good enough for Bellingham, great. If not, the Reds risk disappointment. Yet Klopp has always insisted he is not interested in signing players who are only motivated by the biggest pay-package or by purely playing in the Champions League. He wants players who buy into what he is building and want to be part of something special.
Liverpool want the teenager, that much is clear. Whether the feeling is mutual, only time will tell but the ball is in his court. Having seen their charm offensive for Tchouameni ultimately fail after he only had eyes for Real Madrid, they’ll now be hoping to inflict a similar feeling on their rivals when Bellingham makes his move.
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