Liverpool are showing a serious sign of intent ahead of the summer window with the club having reportedly ‘set aside a fair portion of their budget’ in a bid to land Jude Bellingham’s signature.
The Merseysiders are said to be prioritising the England international over all else ahead of three potential exits – coming in the form of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and James Milner – due to expiring contracts.
“There are still no signs of intent from Jude Bellingham over which club he will choose if makes a move in the summer, but we understand that there is a degree of confidence from the Reds that a deal could be done, and they have even set aside a fair portion of their budget to bring in the England international, we are told,” the journalist wrote for Football Transfers.
The 19-year-old’s current terms are set to expire in two years’ time, handing Borussia Dortmund an opportunity to capitalise on the midfielder’s high value following a series of remarkable performances at the World Cup.
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An asking price upwards of £130m has previously been quoted, a figure one might imagine would take up a significant portion of the club’s summer budget.
How far the kitty in question will stretch, of course, remains something of a mystery given that the club’s financial accounts presented a picture of a side with considerable overheads to get under control.
Whether FSG will take a closer look at the club’s revolving credit facility remains to be seen, though there’s no question that our humungous wage bill isn’t helping matters either – especially when one considers the average age of the squad.
The addition of Bellingham will certainly address that particular problem, assuming further fresh legs walk in through the doors of the AXA training centre in the summer.
Ultimately, the next window isn’t one we can afford to be lax whilst our rivals continue to show intent in the market themselves.