‘World-class’ player actually wanted to sign for Liverpool before moving to Real Madrid

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Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham actually wanted to join Liverpool this summer, but the club couldn’t afford him.

That’s according to German journalist Christian Falk. Writing for CaughtOffside today, Falk claimed that it had been Bellingham’s plan to join Liverpool, before moving to Real Madrid further down the line. However, the Reds lack of suitable finances foiled the 19-year-old’s plot.

“I heard that Bellingham imagined playing for Liverpool for a few years before making the move to Real Madrid,” he wrote. “That was the career plan but Liverpool didn’t have the money for this deal.”

Liverpool better off without Bellingham

If this genuinely was Bellingham’s plan, then Liverpool should feel a little better about pulling out of the deal. We don’t want players at the club who have designs on leaving years down the line. Liverpool FC is not a stepping stone for any player on the planet. Not anymore.

This notion of players meticulously planning their route through the game is not a new thing. There’s a defined food chain in European football and players often have a vague idea of the steps they need to take to reach the top. Of course, plenty will also have clubs that they dream of turning out for.

Some have used Liverpool to move onto ‘bigger’ things in their careers. The likes of Luis Suarez and Javier Mascherano come to mind here.

But when it boils down to it, to do it in the way that Bellingham was planning to is downright arrogant. Sure, he’s a ‘world-class’ player, but we don’t want players with one eye on where they’re going next.

With Suarez and Mascherano, for example, you never got the impression their route was set in stone. They joined Liverpool on their way up and if things well, perhaps they’d get the chance to join their dream club – Barcelona. In the end, that’s exactly what happened.

Where Bellingham’s reported position differs is that he’d already decided that he’ll leave Liverpool. It has parallels with Erling Haaland’s supposed arrangement at Manchester City, with Madrid also cited as the club the Norwegian wants to join when the time is right. Well, forgive us, but that doesn’t sit right with us. If this is truly Bellingham’s point of view, then we’re better off without him. Go and get two or three players who are desperate to play for the Reds, no matter what.