Liverpool’s crushing defeat at the hands of Real Madrid may have hindered their transfer prospects, it has been claimed.
Liverpool target Jude Bellingham will find the gulf between Jurgen Klopp’s side and fellow suitors Real Madrid ‘impossible’ to ignore after a thumping defeat at Anfield earlier this week, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GiveMeSport.
Although Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah handed the Reds an early lead, the Spanish giants came back and sealed a 5-2 win heading into the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
Liverpool transfer news – Jude Bellingham
According to The Athletic, Liverpool have been boosted in their pursuit of their number one summer target as Bellingham is a huge admirer of Klopp and the club, while he has not been put off making a move despite a turbulent campaign on Merseyside.
The report suggests the Reds could battle it out with Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Barcelona for the England international’s signature, while Borussia Dortmund have set a £132million price tag.
Meeting the Bundesliga outfit’s demands would result in Bellingham becoming Liverpool’s record signing, comfortably surpassing the £85million fee they forked out for Darwin Nunez last year.
Respected journalist Jones recently told GiveMeSport that Klopp is prioritising a move for the 19-year-old over Chelsea’s Mason Mount as he looks to bolster his midfield options.
Bellingham has entered the final two-and-a-half years of his £49,000-per-week contract, but Dortmund have not given up hope of retaining his services and are preparing to offer fresh terms.
What has Dean Jones said about Bellingham?
Jones believes Liverpool’s Champions League mauling at the hands of Real Madrid highlighted how far Klopp’s side have fallen in less than 12 months.
The transfer insider feels Bellingham will find it difficult to ignore the scoreline when it comes to deciding his future.
Jones told GiveMeSport: “The gulf between those two teams is vast at the moment and that’s happened in a very short space of time.
“If you think back to how little difference there was between them in the Champions League final to where they are now, it’s quite incredible.
“If you were somebody like Jude Bellingham, who has been linked with both clubs, it’s impossible not to look at how far Liverpool have fallen in that time.”
Read more: Champions League 2022/23: Fixtures, Draw, Dates, Schedule, Final, Teams and Everything We Know So Far
What would Bellingham add to Liverpool’s squad?
According to FBref, Bellingham has averaged more goals, assists, blocks and clearances per 90 minutes than Liverpool trio Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita and Thiago Alcantara this season.
That emphasises the teenager, who has been on Dortmund’s books since completing a £25million switch from boyhood club Birmingham City in 2020, would make the Reds more dynamic going forward as well as defensively solid.
No teammates have been handed a better WhoScored average match rating since the Bundesliga campaign got underway, further underlining that Bellingham turns in impressive performances on a consistent basis.
The midfielder has broken into double figures for goals this term and his presence in the final third of the pitch would make Liverpool even more of a force.
Sofascore statistics show Bellingham has been finding the back of the net every 135 minutes in the Champions League, so he would be an exciting addition to Klopp’s squad.
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