Liverpool will have to break Jurgen Klopp’s promise to seal 19 years old player transfer

Liverpool have made Jude Bellingham a top transfer target, but a move this summer is unlikely, with a more prepared effort set to take place next year.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp once stated that the day he signed a £100 million player would be the day he lost his job.

But that is exactly what the Reds will have to do if they are to sign Jude Bellingham, a club target. Borussia Dortmund has no plans to sell the England international this summer, but they may be willing to listen to offers next year.

Manchester United, Chelsea, and Real Madrid are among the clubs interested in the 19-year-old. However, Liverpool is thought to be ahead of the pack as they look to improve their midfield options.

Georginio Wijnaldum has yet to be truly replaced, while Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are both in their 30s, and the need for successors will become even more pressing in the coming years. Bellingham has been named one of the world’s best young central midfielders.

However, Dortmund are not in the business of selling all of their top players at once, and the departure of Erling Haaland effectively closed the shop early this summer. It is expected that they will only lose one expensive commodity per year, with Jadon Sancho being offloaded in 2021.

Bellingham is expected to fill that role in the summer of 2023 while The Athletic report that Dortmund have already priced the midfielder at £103m. Reporter James Pearce said: “Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United are also in the race, with reports in Germany this week suggesting it would take €120 million (£103 million) to sign him.”

However, such a fee would be a Liverpool club record, which was already broken this summer with the arrival of Darwin Nunez for around £85 million. However, the Reds are not put off by the price because they believe Bellingham can be the heartbeat of this Liverpool team for the next decade.

What it would mean for Klopp, however, remains to be seen after he stated unequivocally in 2017 that he would not spend that much money on any player even if he had the money. “If you bring in one player for £100 million and he gets injured, it all goes down the chimney,” he explained.

“The day that this is football, I’m not in a job anymore, because the game is about playing together. That is how everybody in football understands it. You always want to have the best, but building the group is necessary to be successful.