Liverpool are Jude Bellingham's preferred choice for £130m summer move – report
Liverpool continue to be strongly linked with the Borussia Dortmund and England star, whose future remains uncertain
Jude Bellingham has reportedly made Liverpool his number one destination if he leaves Borussia Dortmund this summer.
The Reds have for months been strongly linked with the 19-year-old England midfielder who is also said to be firmly on Real Madrid's radar.
And, according to Football Insider, Bellingham would favour a switch to Anfield – although he is in talks over a new deal at Dortmund.
Bellingham joined the Bundesliga giants in the summer of 2020 after bursting onto the scene at boyhood club Birmingham City, with the initial £25m transfer fee making him the most expensive 17-year-old in history.
Dortmund are thought to want at least £130m for their star man, who is currently valued at just under £100m by Transfermarkt.
Given their struggles this term, Liverpool simply have to revamp their midfield during the next transfer window.
It's a department in which the Reds haven't made a permanent addition since the beginning of the 2020/21 season – when they signed another Bundesliga midfielder: Thiago, from Bayern Munich.
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But whether Bellingham makes his way to Merseyside this summer could well depend on whether or not Liverpool can offer him Champions League football – something he's had in each of his three campaigns at Dortmund.
As it stands, Jurgen Klopp's side sit sixth in the Premier League, trailing fourth-placed Tottenham by six points with a game in hand.
Having suffered a shock defeat to struggling Bournemouth last weekend – a result which Klopp called "a massive knock" – the Reds must now wait until after the international break to get back on track – starting with the small matter of a trip to Manchester City.
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Jurgen Klopp has addressed the "clear need" for a Liverpool rebuild this summer – and reports suggest there could be a lot of money spent.
Josko Gvardiol is a top target, with Mason Mount on the wishlist, too. Seven other players are in the summer plans, with an eye on the future as well. A player dubbed "the next Luka Modric" could be targeted, while Benfica's latest starlet Florentino Luis is being considered. Fifteen-year-old Kendry Paez is also being linked.
Meanwhile, the Reds are said to have put a price tag on Mo Salah for the first time.
Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...