Liverpool were scared they were going to miss out on other transfer targets if the pursuit of Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham were to drag late into the summer.
That’s according to The Athletic. They claim the Reds were worried as there were no guarantees over a deal.
In their view, the 19-year-old could very easily choose to stay at the Bundesliga club this summer. Even if he does decide to leave, the likes of Manchester City and Real Madrid could be more enticing propositions for him.
Therefore, if the Merseyside outfit did proceed with negotiations, they were distressed by the talks going on for too long.
If they were to spend the majority of the window negotiating with Dortmund to then miss out on the teenager, Liverpool were worried they would find their alternative targets unavailable.
The likes of Brighton star Alexis Mac Allister, and even Chelsea ace Mason Mount, could have already been snapped up by the time the Reds had accepted defeat with Bellingham.
Jurgen Klopp wants his transfer business to be completed early, so his squad are together from when pre-season begins – at the start of July.
As a result, the club are looking at alternative targets already, with the Seagull’s Word Cup winner one of the names topping the list.
Liverpool want Mac Allister
According to FootballTransfers, Brighton value the Argentina international at around £70m.
If this was the price Liverpool were quoted if they had just signed Bellingham, then there would have been very little chance of a deal happening.
However, now there appears to be an extra £130m at their disposal, Mac Allister could be a fantastic addition to Klopp’s squad.
In addition to the Premier League star, there would still be room in the budget to sign other midfield targets as well – enough for Mason Mount.