The race for Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham is still wide open with Liverpool looking like the front-runners to secure a summer transfer for the England international.
The most recent reports have stated that Real Madrid have now moved into the lead for the midfielder, with transfer journalist Matteo Moretto reporting that the La Liga giants are much closer to a deal than any other club.
However, writing in his exclusive CaughtOffside column, transfer expert Ben Jacobs has stated that the race is still wide open and puts Liverpool as the front-runners for the 19-year-old star.
Jacobs also says that Manchester City cannot be ruled out of making a move for Bellingham and Chelsea could also enter the conversation, as no single club can really be confident they’re going to win the race at present.
Ben Jacobs provides update on the future of Jude Bellingham
Discussing the future of Bellingham, Ben Jacobs said about the England international’s future: “Liverpool are feeling confident because of the leg work they’ve done on the deal – they’ve built a good relationship with Bellingham and his family, and he knows and likes players in the Liverpool squad, whilst also having a lot of respect for Jurgen Klopp.
“Real Madrid have also worked hard, and Man City expect to be in the race, so of course Liverpool have to look at other targets. Still, they’re confident they’ve put in a lot of work on Bellingham and that they can match the valuation.
“Then again, it’s not entirely impossible that Bellingham won’t take us by surprise and sign a new deal – we saw Christopher Nkunku do this with RB Leipzig in the summer and then immediately join Chelsea.”
The transfer expert continued: “We’ll have to wait and see, because I think the price will be key, particularly for Real Madrid, who have long been convinced that if they can get buy-in from the player, they could sign him for below €100million. I think this looks unlikely, but that’s been their starting position for a number of months.
“From Liverpool’s perspective, if they don’t get into the Champions League, their financial situation could change, which is another reason to keep an eye out for alternatives.”
