You’ll have had to have been living under a rock to avoid the speculation linking Liverpool with Jude Bellingham in recent months.
The Reds are known to be interested in the England international but, admittedly, they aren’t the only ones with a number of top European clubs also monitoring the midfielder’s situation. Yet, with Borussia Dortmund adamant that the 19-year-old won’t be sold this year, having already seen Erling Haaland depart for Man City in a £51m deal this summer, the teenager’s suitors have no choice but to play the waiting game.
Some Liverpool fans are adamant that their side need to strengthen their midfield ranks this summer. Yet with the club having decided not to sign a midfielder until 2023, and seemingly done in terms of incomings for the year, such a stance has only further fueled speculation and prompted assumptions that the Reds are waiting for Bellingham.
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Given the interest in the midfielder, such a transfer, even with Dortmund willing to sell in 2023, would be easier said than done to complete. The Bundesliga club were recently reported to want £103m for the England international, but with no release clause in his contract, could look to engineer a bidding war, with Bellingham in a position to do the same when it comes to potential contract negotiations.
Given such speculation and the scrutiny regarding Liverpool’s current midfield options, Jurgen Klopp was asked about a potential move for Bellingham earlier this month. Unsurprisingly, he took the opportunity to defend his current options, with the Reds’ having nine senior midfield options on their books after the signing of Fabio Carvalho, when reiterating their stance not to strengthen this summer.
"No [we're not looking to buy], I can say that," Klopp insisted. "I don’t think something will happen in midfield, but you never know. If somebody comes to you and says ‘I want to go...' Nobody came to me yet, but if that happens then we have to talk [about] new [players]. But if the situation stays like it is, then tell me why?
"I don’t understand. I do not understand. People told me about this discussion, but the last thing that would have crossed my mind is that we have to [sign a midfielder]. I know all these things, that we don’t score enough goals from midfield, this and that, but what do we want? This ‘Golden Cow’ that is producing absolutely everything, milk as well!
"We can go through it. Where do you want to start? So, Fabinho, Henderson, Thiago, Milner, Keita, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Fabio Carvalho, Oxlade-Chamberlain. Now you tell me what kind of player are we missing? One who is offensive, 1.95m and arrives into the box to head balls in? OK, apart from that!
"We have three players in the squad who can easily play as a number six - Fabinho, of course, but Hendo and Milly played it fine. Creativity? If we bring in a player just for that, we immediately make it more difficult for Harvey, Curtis and Fabio. They can all play different positions as well of course, Curtis can play a line higher and Harvey and Fabio can play there too. Fine.
“We can play a different system as well, where we might only need two midfielders, but then all these guys can play as a number 10 in the new system. So where is the need for a midfielder? The day when somebody comes to me and tells me why exactly."
On Bellingham interest, Klopp added: "He’s not on the market, so that’s the first problem with that player. Well, the only problem with that player!
"Of course [I value the youngsters highly]. And we should not forget that last season, in the first four games, Harvey Elliott was the best player. He was outstanding. Then he had a bad injury, came back, [he was] high, low. Normal for a young player, and normal after a long injury. He looks sharp now, he’s back, and like everybody he needs luck.
"Curtis Jones - what a player he is as well. Oxlade-Chamberlain, he played the first part of the season quite a lot, and in January played different positions. Yes, he didn’t play a lot after that but [remember] how good he was.
"Fabio, you look at him and what he did at Fulham. Why should we bring a boy in and tell him he is midfielder number nine. It makes no sense. You have to leave the doors open for the boys. I really don’t understand the discussion.
"We always try to improve, and we can improve internally as well. They can put pressure on the more experienced guys, for sure. By the way, Tyler Morton in training, incredible! He plays as a number eight now, we don’t force him to play as a controlling number six in a Premier League game [like v Spurs]. He’s training as an eight, and it’s like ‘wow, how good is that?!’ He’s still here.
"There’s really a lot of excitement for this situation from our side, and like I say, if you want guarantees then you have to look somewhere else. We work a lot with expectations, and our starting point most of the time is very, very positive."
While Klopp might feel positive about his midfield options, his stance won’t change the outside feeling that his squad needs more. Yet, he’s explained exactly why the Reds won’t be signing a midfielder this year.
Liverpool have nine senior options, with three players capable of playing as a number six, and want to give opportunities to Elliott, Jones and Carvalho, who they believe can offer the missing goals from midfield, with the trio very much part of the Reds’ long-term future.
But Liverpool’s midfield picture could look rather different in 12 months’ time. As things Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner will all be out of contract, while the Liverpool vice-captain will be 37, Jordan Henderson will be 33 and Thiago Alcantara will be 32.
As a result, the Reds are nearing a time when, regardless of contract renewals, their midfield will need strengthening. They might have nine senior options now, but that could easily drop to six within a year, with two of that quota edging closer to their mid-30s. Therefore, they might not need to add to their midfield ranks in 2022, but it will be a different story in 2023.
And that’s where Bellingham comes back in. Klopp has not ruled out a move for the England international. After all, the ‘only problem’ with the Borussia Dortmund midfielder is that he currently isn’t on the market. Next summer, he will be.
In the past, when discussing the likes of Kylian Mbappe, the German has distanced Liverpool from such a move, insisting the Paris Saint-Germain forward be too expensive for them. Curiously, in contrast, he has not made such a claim regarding the Borussia Dortmund star. The only issue is current availability.
And while Bellingham might not be 1.95m, he still stands at 6ft 1, can offer something offensively and ‘arrive into the box to head balls in’. Meanwhile, the 19-year-old would be a long-term replacement for some of the Reds’ ageing stars and can bolster their dwindling home-grown quota.
Klopp heads into the new season with Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago and Keita as his starting options, with the veteran Milner, versatile but soon-to-be out of contract Oxlade-Chamberlain and three youngsters in reserve. If all goes well for Liverpool on the pitch, that pecking order could look rather different come May.
And that’s when they’ll sign their next midfielder to bolster their ranks. Having signed Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Carvalho to revamp their attack in 2022, a similar engine room upheaval, featuring Bellingham or not, is coming next summer.
Klopp might not be saying what supporters want to hear right now, having dismissed the possibility of signing a new midfielder before the transfer window closes. But reading between the lines, looking at both what he is saying and what he isn’t, the Reds’ midfield plan is clear with club bosses poised to land exactly what they want and need, when the time comes, in 2023.
As a result, the German has just given his biggest hint yet regarding Liverpool’s intentions when it comes to Jude Bellingham.
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