Liverpool: Jude Bellingham move to Anfield now looking unlikely

Are Liverpool still in the race for Bellingham?

A potential move to Anfield has been reported to be in the cards of the England midfielder for months now with the Reds believed to be seriously interested.

However, they are expected to come up against the likes of Manchester City and Real Madrid in the summer in the pursuit to land the talented youngster.

But the issue lies in the expected price which will be put on Bellingham by Dortmund with the German side believed to be looking for a fee in the region of €150m (£130m).

Indeed, speaking on the Walk On podcast, David Ornstein has provided the latest in the race for the Englishman but has insisted the Reds are not entirely out of the race:

“More lately, it has emerged that three candidates are probably his strongest suitors: Liverpool, who have been most heavily linked with him – in recent months, you could even say years; Manchester City; and Real Madrid. And what we report in my Monday column on The Athletic is that it’s looking increasingly unlikely that Liverpool will do the deal this summer, as things stand.

“I think it’s vital to stress that Liverpool’s pursuit is not off, but that is our understanding of the current situation from speaking to multiple sources with knowledge of this situation from across the industry. And on that note, I’ll finish in that Liverpool will be reluctant to get into a bidding war at that level of finance.”

Should Liverpool move on from Bellingham?

Whilst Ornstein has admitted there are some big hurdles lying ahead of Liverpool if they are to pursue in the race to land the midfielder, they are not out of the running.

However, the prospect of finding themselves in a bidding war with the likes of Madrid and City will surely make those at Anfield consider their options ahead of the summer.

But Bellingham is surely worth the potential summer headache if they are still in the race to land him.

The 19-year-old has become a regular for the England national side and played a big role in their World Cup journey over the summer.

Chelsea may well have disrupted the market for central midfielders in January by signing Enzo Fernandez for a fee in the region of just over £100m.

However, when comparing the pair’s performances this season, it is apparent there are a lot of similarities in their returns for their respective clubs.

The duo have both returned just shy of three tackles per 90 minutes, whereas, Bellingham has offered slightly more shot-creating actions per game (via FBref).

With this in mind, it would suggest that the Reds could find themselves a potential alternative for Bellingham for a cheaper fee if push comes to shove in the summer should they be outpriced by their rivals.