Jurgen Klopp has spoken out on Liverpool's decision to end their pursuit of Jude Bellingham.
As reported by the ECHO on Tuesday night, Liverpool have stepped away from their pursuit of Bellingham after the scale of their required summer midfield overhaul became glaringly apparent.
And asked about his club’s decision for the first time on Friday morning, Klopp said: "There's nothing to say about it to be honest. If we don't speak about players we are signing or not signing, why would I talk about it now?"
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Before the Liverpool boss added: "It's not about Jude Bellingham. I never understood why we constantly speak about things we theoretically cannot have. You have to realise what you can do. It's about what you can do, and you work with that.
"You have to work with what you have. We are not children. You wouldn't say as a five-year-old at Christmas you want a Ferrari, you don't say 'that's a good idea'. It's too expensive and you can't drive it.
"Whatever we need and want we try absolutely everything to get it but there are moments when you have to accept it's not possible and step aside and do different stuff."
The Reds had made Bellingham their top transfer target for much of the season, with Klopp a long-time admirer of the 19-year-old's talent. However, Borussia Dortmund have slapped a price tag in excess of £100million on the England international.
And as a result of that price tag, Reds boss Klopp and the club’s recruitment team have determined they would be better served spreading the cash on several signings rather than committing the majority to one big-money arrival.
The ECHO understands that Liverpool want to sign at least two midfielders in the summer, with Chelsea's Mason Mount - who is approaching the last year of his deal at Stamford Bridge and would thus be significantly cheaper than Bellingham — now emerging as the new priority.
Liverpool are also assessing the merits of another Chelsea midfielder, Conor Gallagher, and retain an interest in Wolverhampton Wanderers' Matheus Nunes and Ryan Gravenberch of Bayern Munich.
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