When a club 'cools' their interest in a player it is usually code for the player does not want to join them.
Manchester United 'cooled' their interest in Antoine Griezmann barely an hour after Atletico Madrid's transfer ban was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2017. Griezmann had promised to remain in Madrid in the event they were unable to recruit a replacement.
Last night, Liverpool had 'cooled' their pursuit of Jude Bellingham. The headline on one outlet has been adjusted to 'end' this morning. 'Cooled' was always code for 'ended'.
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With European ties at Anfield next season due to be held on Thursday evenings, it comes as no surprise Bellingham has gone cold on Liverpool. He had fluttered his eyelashes at them repeatedly; socialising with Trent Alexander-Arnold, liking his celebratory Instagram posts and deifying Steven Gerrard.
Only Bellingham is a ruthless decision-maker. United nor Chelsea could guarantee the 16-year-old fulfilling playing time when he had outgrown Birmingham in 2020, so he plumped for the halfway house of Borussia Dortmund.
Sources at United say they "rolled out the red carpet" for Bellingham. Key staff at Carrington remained on site to gladhand the teenager whose arrival merited the presence of Ed Woodward and Matt Judge. Woodward had claimed only five months earlier he no longer had "nothing to do with recruitment".
United had quietly initiated a succession plan for Paul Pogba and Bellingham was identified as a long-term heir. A United figure who met Bellingham noted his performances for England at the World Cup: "That's what we wanted Pogba to do." Pogba seldom did.
Erik ten Hag's admiration for Bellingham during the World Cup was so great he told confidants if he could sign any player in the world it would be the England midfielder.
Bellingham is not 20 until late June and Ten Hag sees immense potential in the Dudley destroyer. The United manager has watched Borussia Dortmund matches this season and noticed Bellingham has not always operated at his optimum in contrast to his barnstorming performances for England in Qatar.
Ten Hag would endorse a second United pitch to Bellingham, a talent he feels can create history at the club as they strive to end a championship drought that is certain to tick past a decade.
Understandably, United's priority is a striker, such is their meagre goalscoring form and profligacy. That is an outlay of the best part of £100million and Bellingham's valuation is north of that figure as he approaches the last two years of his Dortmund contract.
Sources at United remain adamant outgoings would have to partly invest the arrival of a midfielder, hence why the club are comfortable with more outgoings than incomings planned for the summer. United are not short of sellable assets and should be in a position of strength, provided they qualify for the Champions League.
They are not as certain of adding the Champions League anthem to their playlist as Real Madrid and Manchester City next season. Those two clubs with serene succession plans in their midfield have to be favourites ahead of United for Bellingham's signature and their expected semi-final could also have a bearing.
United are a more compelling sell now and Ten Hag has raised the bar for recruitment in anticipation of Tuesday and Wednesday nights in Europe next season. Wherever Bellingham goes, he is certain to be a club-record addition but the club would also prospectively be signing an asset with a shelf-life of a decade, maybe more.
It was a little over two years ago that United walked away from a deal for Moises Caicedo, who soon joined Brighton for £4.5million. At any auction for Caicedo now, the bidding would start at £80m. His midfield partner, Alexis Mac Allister, is similarly priced.
They would be worthy alternatives to Bellingham and United did agree a reasonable €85m fee with Barcelona for Frenkie de Jong last year. Declan Rice, so curious about United he grilled Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw, is eager to spread his wings away from West Ham and has the skill set to develop similarly to Yaya Toure, all steel at Barcelona but silky for City.
But Rice is a maybe. Bellingham is a certainty. If he pulled on the United shirt, he could enter the same pantheon as Robson and Keane.
That would be cool.
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