Liverpool target Jude Bellingham has insisted that it would be "disrespectful" to Borussia Dortmund to give any consideration to transfer links.
The Birmingham City academy graduate has been a revelation since moving to the Bundesliga in 2020 and has evolved into a key player for both club and country. After racking up 20 goal contributions in all competitions for Dortmund last year, Premier League clubs have been keen to bring the highly-rated 19-year-old back to England.
Both Manchester United and Liverpool were linked to Bellingham earlier in the summer, however, the midfielder was deemed to be unattainable after Dortmund lost the services of Erling Haaland to Manchester City back in June.
That hasn't stopped talk of clubs plotting a move for Bellingham next summer though, and the youngster is believed to be Jurgen Klopp's top midfield target after the Anfield chief made it clear that he was prepared to wait in order to upgrade his engine room.
But Bellingham has now fired back at the constant speculation over his future - and he has made it clear that he is looking to repay the faith Dortmund have put in him since his £25million switch rather than map out his next move.
When the midfielder was quizzed on his future prior to Dortmund's Champions League clash with Manchester City, Bellingham said: "The club have done loads for me and made me feel very welcome since I first came and gave me the opportunities to develop even further. To look past that and into the future would be disrespectful. It's not something I am thinking about, to be honest."
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Bellingham's attempts to distance himself from links to the Premier League is a blow for Liverpool, but it is unlikely to deter future interest from the Reds, who were forced to sign Arthur Melo on deadline day following an accumulation of injuries.
The Reds do have the option to purchase the Brazilian midfielder, who was linked with a January switch to Arsenal, on a permanent basis, however, it is expected that Liverpool will instead press ahead with attempts to try and prise Bellingham away from Germany.
Any deal for Bellingham is likely to cost significantly more than the £25million sum Dortmund shelled out to secure his signature - but Klopp has already hinted that Liverpool are willing to spend big on the "right player" when he was asked about signing a midfielder in the days leading up to the transfer deadline.
"We are working constantly on these things," Klopp said last month. "Sometimes it's expensive, sometimes not the right player, but we're working. If something will happen or not, I don't know."
