Liverpool could make a bid for Jude Bellingham next year, but are extremely unlikely to make any offer this summer.
That’s according to The Times, who claim that the 18-year-old will ‘continue to be followed’ over the course of the season.
There is some feeling that Liverpool could do with midfield reinforcements this summer. However, the club are reportedly ‘confident’ that they currently have enough depth.
To that end, The Reds are claimed to have no interest in signing ‘stop-gaps’ and are prepared to wait for ‘the right player.’
The suggestion is that that player could well be Bellingham. Jurgen Klopp is said to be an ‘admirer’ of the player, who recently announced his expectation was to stay at Borussia Dortmund this season.
Liverpool stick to their guns
This isn’t a new strategy from Liverpool. It’s one that has steered them well over recent years.
Most notably are the captures of Alisson Becker and Virgil Van Dijk in 2018. Both players were earmarked as the top targets in their respective positions.
Despite competition and, in Van Dijk’s case, the need to wait a full six months longer, they eventually got their men. Had Liverpool panicked and gone in for lesser targets, they’d have missed out on two incredibly decisive players.
Those instances are likely in Liverpool’s mind as they look to employ the same strategy with Bellingham.
Sure, they could go out and spend significant money on another player. But if they’re convinced that he would merely be a placeholder, it makes some sense to wait.
Potential for bumps in the road
One issue that could arise is that Liverpool’s midfield succumbs to injury. This is a possibility of course, but not a big one. The Reds’ midfield got them to within a whisker of a quadruple, and they’ll go again next season.
The only issue really arises if Bellingham, or whoever Liverpool’s top target is, has his head turned elsewhere.
In Bellingham’s case, he should be attainable. In fact, when this news is put together with his admission that he’ll stay at Dortmund for another year, perhaps it isn’t all such a coincidence.
But Liverpool should be wary of other suitors. Real Madrid are reportedly on the youngsters tail. As former teammate Jadon Sancho said via bundesliga.com, Bellingham is ‘world-class,’ he’ll surely be of interest to all the top teams.