Liverpool target Jude Bellingham is set to hold talks with Borussia Dortmund about his future at the club.
Bellingham has kicked on in the 2022-23 season after becoming part of the Bundesliga side's leadership group. His nine goals in 22 games before the World Cup represents a career-best tally, while he also scored his first senior international goal for England in Qatar.
Premier League big-hitters Liverpool and Manchester City have both been linked with a swoop for the 19-year-old, who joined Dortmund from Birmingham City for £25m in 2020. The midfielder is under contract until 2025, but a nine-figure bid from one or more of the potential suitors has been mooted.
According to Bild (via BuliNews ), Bellingham and his team-mates will return to club duty on January 2. Unlike the Premier League, the Bundesliga is on an extended winter break, with league action not resuming until January 20.
In between those dates, Dortmund will undergo a warm-weather training camp in preparation for their return to action against Augsburg on January 22. It is there, Bild reports, that the club want to sit down with the starlet to determine his and their next steps.
Dortmund are believed to want as much as €150m (£132m) for the teenager, with a potential three-way battle on the cards. While the long contract means there is no urgency to sell, it is understood the Bundesliga side are keen to know exactly where they stand.
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Liverpool have long been linked with Bellingham, and Reds boss Jurgen Klopp - himself a former Dortmund manager - has not hidden his feelings about the England star. "Bellingham is just exceptional," the German said. "He plays so mature, like a 28-year-old.
"Everybody already knew his skills, but I have no idea what that means for the money side of it. He’s very good, exceptional. He had an incredible World Cup."
Klopp has already made the first January addition to his squad, with Liverpool swooping to sign PSV Eindhoven forward Cody Gakpo from under the noses of a number of their Premier League rivals. It remains to be seen whether that will be the only bit of business from the Merseyside club in the mid-season window, with Luis Diaz moving to Anfield at the end of the equivalent period last season.
“It really is great news for us that we have been able to do it and I have to say it has been a fantastic job by everyone involved, especially Julian [Ward, Liverpool's sporting director," Klopp said of the Gakpo deal. "The work that has gone into this has been really impressive.
"And in the end we have managed to sign a player who we have known about for quite some time and who we believe will have a really bright future with us. There is a lot to like about Cody. He is still only 23 years old but he already has a lot of experience."
