Liverpool remain 'very optimistic' of landing Jude Bellingham next summer, according to Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg.
The Borussia Dortmund midfielder is said to be Jurgen Klopp's priority target, with the Reds boss pushing to sign the teenager and his superiors willing to invest. Liverpool expect their man to cost upwards of £100million, with value increasing almost weekly and likely to sky-rocket if the World Cup proves successful.
Bellingham has attracted interest from all of Europe's top sides after an outstanding start to the season in Germany, scoring nine goals across all competitions and captaining Dortmund in the Champions League. The 19-year-old is also on the radar of Manchester United, although the Red Devils may struggle to keep in-line with Financial Fair Play rules after last summer's £240million transfer splurge.
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Erik Ten Hag's side have been scouting the England international since his time at Birmingham and tried to sign the then 17-year-old before his eventual move to Germany. An A-list welcoming party of Sir Alex Ferguson, Bryan Robson and Eric Cantona welcomed Bellingham to their Carrington training complex back in 2020, only to be snubbed for the Bundesliga outfit.
Liverpool's Champions League round-of-16 opponents Real Madrid are also seen as major rivals, with the Spanish giants financially superior and equally determined to land their man. Carlo Ancelotti's side pipped Liverpool to the €100million summer signing of Aurelien Tchouameni in the summer, despite Klopp personally calling the young midfielder.
Chelsea and Manchester City are also thought to be monitoring Bellingham's situation in Dortmund, but the likes of Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are at the back of any line.
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