Hopes of Jude Bellingham joining Liverpool in the summer appear to have been dashed after it emerged on Tuesday evening that the Reds have stepped away from a move for the midfielder.
Teenager Bellingham has been linked with a switch to Anfield for months, after breaking through as one of England's finest talents during a successful spell in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund that has led to England national team stardom already.
But with elite European clubs likes Real Madrid and Manchester City also said to be in for the star, under-contract Bellingham has reportedly had a price-tag slapped on him of over £100million. And that valuation, coupled with Liverpool's now clear necessity to undertake a comprehensive rebuilding job this season, has led to a cooling of interest that will unquestionably frustrate supporters after months of speculation.
COMMENT: FSG only have one card to play at Liverpool after giving up on Jude Bellingham
BELLINGHAM LATEST: Why Liverpool have decided to step away after long pursuit
Here's a round-up of what the national media have had to say on the matter, plus insights from the ECHO's Ian Doyle.
Paul Joyce - The Times
Klopp has never disguised his admiration for Bellingham and talked the player up last summer, while the Borussia Dortmund star was understood to be enamoured by Liverpool’s long-standing interest in him as he considers his future.
However, rectifying this season’s drop-off and infusing the squad with first-team talent means that committing such a huge chunk of this summer’s funds to one player is no longer regarded by the club as the best strategy. The overall package would also be swelled by wages.
The decision to diversify and focus the search for reinforcements away from the 19-year-old Bellingham will come as a blow to Liverpool supporters who hoped that he would end up at Anfield. Barring an unexpected change in circumstances, it now seems unlikely that will be the case this summer at least.
Liverpool want to target new players as soon as the transfer window opens and there is a risk that the pursuit of Bellingham becomes a drawn-out saga given the level of interest in him.
Dominic King - Daily Mail
Klopp hinted last week that Liverpool's recruitment plans this summer would not necessarily meet the expectations of supporters. But this is not the first time he or the club have been prepared to make an unpopular decision to focus on the wider picture.
"The difference is whatever we do next year will never be enough from people's point of view and your point of view," Klopp said in his press conference before facing Arsenal. "But, yes, with smart recruitment we will improve, definitely. That is the plan."
Liverpool have been monitoring a number of targets, aside from Bellingham.
Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount is extremely well regarded within Anfield and looks the ideal type of player who would fit perfectly into Klopp's system. Conor Gallagher, Mount's Chelsea team-mate, has also been discussed. There were reports on Tuesday night that Liverpool had made a bid for Bellingham but that was definitely not the case.
What happens with Bellingham remains to be seen but the chase for his signature will now be headed by Real Madrid, as well as Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea, all of whom have the financial power to meet whatever demands Dortmund may have.
Chris Bascombe - The Telegraph
Defeats to Real Madrid and Manchester City were Liverpool’s most demoralising of the season. Until right now.
In stepping aside to allow others to fight for Jude Bellingham, Liverpool have been forced to issue a humbling statement of their current standing. Unable to compete on the pitch against the Premier League and Champions League competitors in 2023, they have been forced to concede how far behind they are off it, too.
Liverpool have opted out of what was in danger of becoming a Bellingham saga for several reasons. Firstly, they are unsure if the England midfielder will leave this Borussia Dortmund summer.
Second, they are even less sure Anfield would be his preferred option given the spending power of those who want him. Jurgen Klopp had no inclination to wait for the outcome of a bidding war when alternatives can be secured cheaper and quicker.
Third - and most pertinent of all - Liverpool currently cannot afford to buy Bellingham and fund the rest of their summer spending even if he calls up Klopp and starts singing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ down the phone.
Neil Jones - Goal.com
In a development which will come as a significant blow to Reds fans, who had been desperate to see the England star arrive on Merseyside, Liverpool have accepted that a move for the Borussia Dortmund will not be possible this summer.
The cost of such a deal - likely to be well in excess of £120 million ($149m) and the scale of the rebuild required at Anfield - means they will instead look to pursue an alternative recruitment strategy in the next transfer window. Klopp stated recently that he was "positive" over potential new signings, and that the club would "definitely" spend in the summer.
[Liverpool] are well aware of the need for a significant overhaul of their midfield options this summer, and with Champions League football unlikely next season, and Bellingham now seemingly a no-go, the Reds face a major challenge to bring in the kind of quality required to help the club bounce back from what has so far been an appalling campaign.
Bellingham has always been regarded as Liverpool's top target, and their failure to compete for his signature will inevitably lead to hefty criticism for owners Fenway Sports Group, while the club's overall recruitment strategy will also be questioned. Liverpool, remember, are also in need of a new sporting director, with current incumbent Julian Ward set to step down at the end of the season.
Andy Hunter - The Guardian
Klopp has told the club’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, to move swiftly on transfer deals having lost out to Real Madrid in pursuit of the midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni last summer.
A drawn-out battle for Bellingham’s signature would increase the risk of other targets moving elsewhere and Liverpool accept they cannot afford to miss out on several alternative options. Chelsea’s Mason Mount, Brighton’s Moisés Caicedo, Matheus Nunes of Wolves and Ryan Gravenberch of Bayern Munich are among the midfielders of interest.
The decision to withdraw from the Bellingham race will be unpopular among Liverpool fans but Klopp hinted at such a development at his press conference on Friday.
“Whatever we do next year will never be enough from people’s point of view and your point of view, but with smart recruitment we will improve – definitely,” he said.
Ian Doyle - Liverpool ECHO
Last summer, Liverpool pinpointed Aurelien Tchouameni as the player to accelerate the evolution of their midfield. But when the Frenchman instead opted to join Real Madrid, the Reds chose not to look elsewhere - it was either the right signing or none.
This summer, Liverpool pinpointed Jude Bellingham as the player to accelerate the evolution of their midfield. Now, though, the Reds have chosen to step away from the pursuit - instead of the right signing, they intend to make several others.
Matters, of course, are rarely quite so black and white. But the reversal of approach taken by Jurgen Klopp and the Liverpool recruitment team will not have passed unnoticed by supporters furiously debating the decision to essentially give up on any attempt to prise Bellingham away from Borussia Dortmund in the forthcoming transfer window.
Technically, it might still be that Bellingham ends up at Anfield in the future. He has more than two years remaining on his deal, is still in the formative stages of what he hopes will be a long career, and neither he nor Dortmund are in any rush to part ways.
That, though, does nothing to solve an issue at Liverpool that has been festering ever since Tchouameni chose to head to the Bernabeu rather than Anfield almost 12 months ago.
Rather than look elsewhere, Klopp gambled on getting one more season out of his current midfield. It backfired. If it could go wrong for Klopp, it did. And Liverpool simply haven't recovered.
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