Football News: Liverpool 'increasingly unlikely to sign Jude Bellingham'

According to a source, Liverpool are "increasingly unlikely" to win the race for Jude Bellingham this summer.

Despite the possibility of missing out on Champions League football in 2023-24, the Reds are considered favourites to sign Jude. Good exploratory conversations are said to have taken place with Bellingham's father.

And it is believed that the midfielder is said to still want Anfield as his next club. But because Dortmund are covered by Bellingham's contract until 2025.

The Black and Yellows may demand a club-record value of at least £130 million to authorise a transfer. With no release clause present in the Englishman's' contract, clubs will have to pay whatever the German club demands.

With Dortmund refusing to budge and no release provision in Bellingham's contract, interested parties will have to accept the Germans' demands if they want to lure the England international away from the Westfalenstadion.

As a result, according to The Athletic, Liverpool are lagging behind in the hunt for Bellingham, with the Reds unwilling to engage in a nine-figure bidding war for his services.

According to the source, Manchester City and Real Madrid have jumped ahead of Liverpool in the competition, and the Reds may believe they cannot compete with their rivals' financial muscle.

With Jurgen Klopp a renowned admirer of Bellingham, Liverpool have not ruled out a deal, although the Etihad or Bernabeu are currently viewed as more likely destinations for the midfielder.

Manchester United have also expressed interest in signing Bellingham, however Dortmund may try to tie him down to a new deal with a release clause.

In comparison to last season, when Liverpool won the FA Cup and EFL Cup, finished second in the Premier League, and lost in the Champions League final to Real Madrid, the Reds' budget this summer could be drastically downfall.

Apart from the Community Shield, Klopp's squad will finish the season without a trophy, and a place in the top four is out of reach as they sit sixth in the table, seven points behind Tottenham Hotspur with two games in hand.

Failing to qualify for Europe's elite event will severely restrict Liverpool's financial resources, making it even more unlikely that Bellingham will play for the Merseyside club next year.

Since joining Dortmund in 2020, the former Birmingham City teenager has scored 20 goals and provided 24 assists in 124 games, including 10 goals and six assists in 34 outings this season.

Liverpool are expecting to lose free agents Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer, while Arthur's loan from Juventus is unlikely to be extended.

James Milner's contract expires in three months, but Klopp appears to have begged with the hierarchy to extend the 37-year-old a fresh term for the 2023-24 season.

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