Bayern Munich director Oliver Kahn has ruled the German club out of the race to sign Jude Bellingham.
The Borussia Dortmund midfielder is already looking likely to be the most in-demand player over the next 12 months, with the Reds well-known to have been monitoring him for some time. The 19-year-old was once again impressive for England in their Nations League clash with Germany and is improving by the week back in the Bundesliga.
Bellingham's continued rapid development will only increase interest across the continent, but serial German champions Bayern Munich also have more than enough pulling power to enter any race and take command. The Bavarian club have a history of poaching Dortmund's top talent for some eye-watering fees, with Mario Gotze, Mats Hummels and Robert Lewandowski to name a few.
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But Liverpool, along with their other rivals, may be glad to hear Bayern director Oliver Kahn seemingly take his side out of the running when listing the wealth of midfield options they already have at their disposal.
“Of course Jude Bellingham for me is an outstanding player,” the former German international goalkeeper told BILD . “However, with [Joshua] Kimmich, [Leon] Goretzka, [Marcel] Sabitzer and [Ryan] Gravenberch, we're very well equipped in this position. So we're not thinking about that at all.”
Bayern's withdrawal by no means clears an easy path for Liverpool, with Real Madrid hot on their heels, having already snapped Aurelien Tchouameni from under Red noses back in the summer. The two Champions League finalists are expected to be front-runners, having spent considerable time forging relationships with Dortmund and Bellingham, but new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is also hoping to barge his way into pole position.
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