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CBS journalist Ben Jacobs has suggested that Liverpool believe they're leading the race to sign Borussia Dortmund and England star Jude Bellingham.
Sky Sports reported last month that the Reds had made Bellingham their priority signing for the summer. The report added that Dortmund could ask for in excess of £100 million for the player, who has also attracted interest from Real Madrid and Manchester City.
While they're bound to face competition for a bludgeoning young talent like the Englishman, Jurgen Klopp's side are confident of their chances. That's according to Jacobs, who said (as quoted by GiveMeSport):
“Right now because Liverpool have done so much to assure the family that there’s a plan, and because Jurgen Klopp has been involved and players have been involved, and because Liverpool are prepared to pay big and strike a deal from a club to club sense, I believe that Liverpool consider themselves frontrunners.”
The Reds have not been ones to splash money in recent transfer windows, often using the funds generated by player sales to bolster to their squad. However, they spent £64.2 million on Darwin Nunez last summer, having sold Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich for only around £35 million.
Jude Bellingham could freshen up ageing Liverpool midfield
Liverpool have struggled for consistency this season, and many fans and pundits have put that down to a lack of spark in their midfield. The Reds have an ageing core at the centre of the park, with many players approaching the end of their physical peak.
Their starting trio includes Jordan Henderson, who's 32, and Thiago Alcantara, who's 31. Fabinho is not as old at 29 but has endured a well below-par season by his lofty standards.
Off the bench, they have a 37-year-old James Milner and an injury-prone Naby Keita. Their contracts are set to run out in the summer. Harvey Elliott, meanwhile, is only 19 and still needs to be nurtured to become a regular starter.
Signing Jude Bellingham could freshen up the options Klopp has at his disposal. The Englishman has enjoyed a stellar spell at Borussia Dortmund, scoring 19 times and recording 21 assists in 112 games across competitions.
This season, Bellingham has registered nine goals in 22 appearances. Henderson, Thiago, Fabinho and Elliott combined have managed just three in 87 combined games, with Elliott scoring all three goals.
Additionally, Bellingham has averaged 1.1 key passes per game in the Bundesliga this term. That figure is higher than what both Henderson (0.9) and Fabinho (0.3) have managed in the Premier League, and just behind Thiago (1.2).
Only the Spaniard averages averages more accurate passes in the opposition third (32.0) than Bellingham (26.3) among the four aforementioned players. The Dortmund midfielder also averages more tackles (3.2), interceptions (1.4) and possessions won (1.2) than the three other players.
Bellingham's surface and underlying stats indicate that he could elevate a Liverpool midfield that seems to be in dire need of freshness.
