Liverpool could hand Chelsea a huge boost towards signing Jude Bellingham in the summer following a shock U-turn on developments. The 19-year-old has been heavily linked with an exit from Borussia Dortmund for a while now as he continues to impress for club and country.
Bellingham, who sees his contract at the Signal Iduna Park expire in 2025, has been subject to long-term interest from the Blues, football.london understands. The west Londoners watched the midfielder during his time as an academy player at Birmingham City but, after failing to act on their interest, the German side swooped in and signed the teenager instead.
Ever since, the England international has attracted interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe, including Liverpool too. However, with the Reds' midfield is desperate need of a revamp at the end of the season and Bellingham likely to cost a fortune, it appears that they may concede their position in the race for his signature.
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According to The Times, Liverpool are beginning to consider alternatives to the Englishman due to his enormous price tag; it's said that he could demand a fee north of £100million. The report states that Klopp is an admirer of the Dortmund star but, as it stands, a move now looks to be off the cards.
It's said that the Reds want to sign at least two midfielders this summer and they've been heavily linked with both Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher. In fact, The Times outline that the former will be at the 'centre of attention' should he look to leave Chelsea in the coming months.
With Mount yet to commit his long-term future to the Blues, football.london understands that negotiations have proven difficult. The midfielder is far from one of the top earners at the club despite having nearly 200 Premier League appearances under his belt.
If the two parties cannot reach an agreement over a new contract then the Cobham graduate will leave the west London outfit for free in June 2024. In the meantime, Mount will be available for a cut-price fee.
With Mount and Gallagher on Liverpool's radar, Chelsea could put the windfall generated from their exits towards signing Bellingham. While of course, they won't cover the entirety of the fee, Todd Boehly is under growing pressure from Financial Fair Play regulators so every little helps.
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