Liverpool FC Forum

We need so many English players in the squad and with Ox, and Milner leaving and question marks over Gomez and Jones it makes sense to go for the best available English talent.

I'm not convinced on Mount myself but he's played well for the England games I've watched him so it maybe a confidence thing at present. I wouldn't pay more than £50m. Then obviously try and get Bellingham, who'd be a massive player for us.

Alot of rumours floating around that we made a £83m bid for Bellingham.. but James Pearce has come out and said we are officially out of the race for Bellingham.

We want him, he wants us.. but it's too expensive for the owners. If he ends up going to City then he's going to fill the void for when KDB moves on. Depressing times.

Would love Bellingham but to be honest if it means we blow most of our budget on him and can't bring in anyone else of note, not sure its the wisest of decisions at this moment time.

A couple os seasons ago when we were riding high, I'd have been more than happy with us just bringing in Bellingham in and it would make sense


£83m won't be enough and price will be pushed up due to the interest.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mirror ... 686475.amp



Why am I not surprised.

Not totally sure on Mount as a midfielder to be honest...think he looks someone more comfortable higher up the pitch. Conor Gallagher has something about him that I think Klopp could work with. Young, lots of energy, tenacious and physical, good engine with the ability to get up and down the pitch, decent height and with premier league experience....think he could be someone Klopp could take up a level and potentially make a real player of.

Would also be tempted to look at Declan Rice to. Will have 2 years left on his contract this summer and no doubt West Ham will want big money but doesn't look like he is interested in signing a contract and maybe they'll be persuaded with the right bid. He is too good for them and can see him pushing to move soon.

Do wonder how much those two would cost combined but think they could really be smart buys. Would love Bellingham just feel its bit of an auction with him now.

Jude Bellingham defeat proves Liverpool can no longer compete off the field either
Dropping out of race for England midfielder is one of Liverpool's most humbling defeats of the season

By Chris Bascombe
12 April 2023 • 8:25am

Defeats to Real Madrid and Manchester City were Liverpool’s most demoralising of the season. Until right now.

In stepping aside to allow others to fight for Jude Bellingham, Liverpool have been forced to issue a humbling statement of their current standing. Unable to compete on the pitch against the Premier League and Champions League competitors in 2023, they have been forced to concede how far behind they are off it, too.

Liverpool have opted out of what was in danger of becoming a Bellingham saga for several reasons.

Firstly, they are unsure if the England midfielder will leave this Borussia Dortmund summer.

Second,  they are even less sure Anfield would be his preferred option given the spending power of those who want him. Jurgen Klopp had no inclination to wait for the outcome of a bidding war when alternatives can be secured cheaper and quicker.

Third - and most pertinent of all - Liverpool currently cannot afford to buy Bellingham and fund the rest of their summer spending even if he calls up Klopp and starts singing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ down the phone.

There is awareness at Anfield how negatively this revelation will be received. Indeed, Klopp hinted as much last week when suggesting some people ‘will not be happy’ with what the club does over the summer, although at the time few anticipated he was countenancing walking away from Bellingham.

It is understood when the Liverpool coach is asked about the decision - which he is sure to be before his side’s next Premier League game at Leeds United - he will emphasise how hands-on and on-board he is with the club’s transfer strategy. Obviously he has no control over how much there is to spend, but nobody is more influential when it comes to determining how to spend what there is.

Klopp has been forced to re-evaluate what the squad needs after a dismal campaign. Last summer, he may have imagined a scenario in which Bellingham would be the perfect addition to a fully functional, title-chasing, Champions League-ready team. Instead, he needs to restructure with at least four top class and expensive additions. That is impossible if his entire budget is allocated to one player.

Jurgen Klopp after Liverpool's draw against Arsenal - The three reasons why Liverpool are not signing Jude Bellingham
Jurgen Klopp is believed to be on-board with Liverpool's transfer strategy CREDIT: Reuters/Phil Noble
Targeting Bellingham was always going to be complicated for Liverpool’s principal owner John W. Henry once supporters hopes were raised to such heights it was rather like the club had its sights on another title rather than a player’s signature.

The more impressive Bellingham performed in a Dortmund and England shirt, the more his valuation swelled, and the more incompatible a summer deal looked with the Fenway Sports Group ownership model.

The clues have been there all season that Liverpool were worried about how much the teenager would cost. It was written in black and white when FSG announced the beginning of their investment search. But even if a minority partner is imminent, the methodology will not change.

The club’s success under  Klopp is built on the notion of identifying and recruiting young players before they became expensive superstars. In effect, Liverpool needed to buy Bellingham when he might have cost £10 million from Birmingham, not over £100 million from Dortmund.

The anomalies, of course, are the deals for Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker, who at the time set world records for a centre-half and goalkeeper. An extensive list of other pricey signings can be made, but in each case so could the fees recouped by outgoings, from Phillipe Coutinho in 2017 to Sadio Mane in 2022. Liverpool have sold as well as they have bought under Klopp.

Those hoping for a summer splurge on Bellingham believed money was set aside for the expensive, ready-made midfielder Liverpool have needed since last summer. Indeed, when Klopp spent in excess of £35 million for Cody Gakpo in January, it seemed incomprehensible he was doing so at the expense of missing out on his preferred summer target.

Klopp has also spoken so enthusiastically about Bellingham, it is hard to believe he has given up on the idea of coaching him without deep thought and significant regrets. If there is one glimmer of hope for those still hoping he ends up at Anfield, it could be that Bellingham opts to remain in the Bundesliga for another season, opening up the possibility for him being more affordable at a later date. Given the resources of his other admirers, that looks doubtful, however.

For Klopp and Liverpool, the pressure to sign high class alternatives will intensify. Chelsea duo Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher are certainly targets. Brighton’s Moises Caicedo is too. Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch also fits the FSG model.

Stand by for Klopp to announce there is more than one midfielder in the world.

The counter-argument is that was the case last summer, too. Instead Liverpool made what now looks like a calamitous transfer error in waiting for the one they really wanted but could never be sure of getting.

MUST continue the narrative that it's Klopp's fault. Even if he only gets players from the conference league Klopp must do better. The owners have it tough and must consider the bottom line and make profits. The net spend the last 4 years are like 15th in the league but it's part of this fantastic plan and ANY manager must succeed cause the club is Liverpool....

It will be interesting to see how this one pans out. A pretty reliable source in Germany reported yesterday afternoon that we had bid £84M for Bellingham and later that day the we feed information to all the usual journalists that we work with that we've cooled our interest due to the cost and are now looking at other targets. Bild (less reliable) today reporting that Bellingham is not interested in signing for Chelsea, Man City, or PSG as he "wants to play for a prestigious club with values like passion, honour, and reputation, rather than money". A negotiating tactic? Maybe. We've seen it before with the signings of Alisson and Thiago. In recent windows we've seen no movement on the evolution of midfield because we've been told that the club see high profile talents such as Tchouameni and Bellingham as the answer so it's going to be a failure of strategy and wasted time if we end up with neither.

I've said it before but I'm not really sure why we've all of sudden become determined to compete with the likes of Man City and Madrid for high profile £100m+ players when we've already proven that there are other ways to compete for the big trophies. Arsenal are now proving that too. When you have a clear idea of the type of team you're trying to create and everyone involved with the process is joined up then you can be successful without having to beat off the likes of Man City and Madrid to £100m+ players. But on the face of it we don't seem to quite have it together. We spent £85mil on a striker last summer and having played less than 20 games up front he's now playing on the left as he seemingly isn't an effective presser. In January we departed from our normal strategy of not spending large sums of money on players from weak leagues and bought in a left sided forward from Holland for £44mil (again choosing not to address midfield). He played a couple of games for us on the left and he was pretty poor and since then he's been pushed up top.

Whatever we do this summer, we really need see on the pitch in the first few months of the season what sort of team we're trying to build.

I’ll prob get smashed but I’d honestly think about cashing in on Salah we’ve had his best years and with Diaz Gakpo and Nunez u feel they’ll take us to levels as before given time. Take 90m for Salah and help fund Bellingham and still get another class few players in with our budget. Get rid of few outcasts. We can’t be blowing our money on one player that’s crazy when we need a new midfield

Welshwizard » Wed Apr 12, 2023 2:10 pm wrote:I’ll prob get smashed but I’d honestly think about cashing in on Salah we’ve had his best years and with Diaz Gakpo and Nunez u feel they’ll take us to levels as before given time. Take 90m for Salah and help fund Bellingham and still get another class few players in with our budget. Get rid of few outcasts. We can’t be blowing our money on one player that’s crazy when we need a new midfield

We should have sold Salah a couple of years ago and kept Mane. I don’t think he will get that much now

Eagle » Wed Apr 12, 2023 10:52 am wrote:It will be interesting to see how this one pans out. A pretty reliable source in Germany reported yesterday afternoon that we had bid £84M for Bellingham and later that day the we feed information to all the usual journalists that we work with that we've cooled our interest due to the cost and are now looking at other targets. Bild (less reliable) today reporting that Bellingham is not interested in signing for Chelsea, Man City, or PSG as he "wants to play for a prestigious club with values like passion, honour, and reputation, rather than money". A negotiating tactic? Maybe. We've seen it before with the signings of Alisson and Thiago. In recent windows we've seen no movement on the evolution of midfield because we've been told that the club see high profile talents such as Tchouameni and Bellingham as the answer so it's going to be a failure of strategy and wasted time if we end up with neither.

I've said it before but I'm not really sure why we've all of sudden become determined to compete with the likes of Man City and Madrid for high profile £100m+ players when we've already proven that there are other ways to compete for the big trophies. Arsenal are now proving that too. When you have a clear idea of the type of team you're trying to create and everyone involved with the process is joined up then you can be successful without having to beat off the likes of Man City and Madrid to £100m+ players. But on the face of it we don't seem to quite have it together. We spent £85mil on a striker last summer and having played less than 20 games up front he's now playing on the left as he seemingly isn't an effective presser. In January we departed from our normal strategy of not spending large sums of money on players from weak leagues and bought in a left sided forward from Holland for £44mil (again choosing not to address midfield). He played a couple of games for us on the left and he was pretty poor and since then he's been pushed up top.

Whatever we do this summer, we really need see on the pitch in the first few months of the season what sort of team we're trying to build.

It's splashed all over the back of tonight's Echo that we won't be signing Belllingham and we are actively pursuing other targets.

Tell you who I wouldn't mind us signing - that lad from Brighton, Mitoda or something like that. He"s quick, skilful and direct

ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Wed Apr 12, 2023 4:05 pm wrote:

Eagle » Wed Apr 12, 2023 10:52 am wrote:It will be interesting to see how this one pans out. A pretty reliable source in Germany reported yesterday afternoon that we had bid £84M for Bellingham and later that day the we feed information to all the usual journalists that we work with that we've cooled our interest due to the cost and are now looking at other targets. Bild (less reliable) today reporting that Bellingham is not interested in signing for Chelsea, Man City, or PSG as he "wants to play for a prestigious club with values like passion, honour, and reputation, rather than money". A negotiating tactic? Maybe. We've seen it before with the signings of Alisson and Thiago. In recent windows we've seen no movement on the evolution of midfield because we've been told that the club see high profile talents such as Tchouameni and Bellingham as the answer so it's going to be a failure of strategy and wasted time if we end up with neither.

I've said it before but I'm not really sure why we've all of sudden become determined to compete with the likes of Man City and Madrid for high profile £100m+ players when we've already proven that there are other ways to compete for the big trophies. Arsenal are now proving that too. When you have a clear idea of the type of team you're trying to create and everyone involved with the process is joined up then you can be successful without having to beat off the likes of Man City and Madrid to £100m+ players. But on the face of it we don't seem to quite have it together. We spent £85mil on a striker last summer and having played less than 20 games up front he's now playing on the left as he seemingly isn't an effective presser. In January we departed from our normal strategy of not spending large sums of money on players from weak leagues and bought in a left sided forward from Holland for £44mil (again choosing not to address midfield). He played a couple of games for us on the left and he was pretty poor and since then he's been pushed up top.

Whatever we do this summer, we really need see on the pitch in the first few months of the season what sort of team we're trying to build.

It's splashed all over the back of tonight's Echo that we won't be signing Belllingham and we are actively pursuing other targets.

Same thing happened with van Djik, Alisson and Thiago so I wouldn't say it's 100% that the saga is over. This has all come from the LFC press office with Paul Joyce having the exclusive. One thing is for sure is that we're not going to pay the £130mil that Dortmund seem to be asking for. Is there a compromise to be had between £80mil and £130mil? Time will tell I guess but that's a big gap to breach.

ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Wed Apr 12, 2023 4:20 pm wrote:Tell you who I wouldn't mind us signing - that lad from Brighton, Mitoda or something like that. He"s quick, skilful and direct

Yeah can't see him staying at Brighton too long. Has been top quality this season.

Eagle » Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:04 pm wrote:

ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Wed Apr 12, 2023 4:05 pm wrote:

Eagle » Wed Apr 12, 2023 10:52 am wrote:It will be interesting to see how this one pans out. A pretty reliable source in Germany reported yesterday afternoon that we had bid £84M for Bellingham and later that day the we feed information to all the usual journalists that we work with that we've cooled our interest due to the cost and are now looking at other targets. Bild (less reliable) today reporting that Bellingham is not interested in signing for Chelsea, Man City, or PSG as he "wants to play for a prestigious club with values like passion, honour, and reputation, rather than money". A negotiating tactic? Maybe. We've seen it before with the signings of Alisson and Thiago. In recent windows we've seen no movement on the evolution of midfield because we've been told that the club see high profile talents such as Tchouameni and Bellingham as the answer so it's going to be a failure of strategy and wasted time if we end up with neither.

I've said it before but I'm not really sure why we've all of sudden become determined to compete with the likes of Man City and Madrid for high profile £100m+ players when we've already proven that there are other ways to compete for the big trophies. Arsenal are now proving that too. When you have a clear idea of the type of team you're trying to create and everyone involved with the process is joined up then you can be successful without having to beat off the likes of Man City and Madrid to £100m+ players. But on the face of it we don't seem to quite have it together. We spent £85mil on a striker last summer and having played less than 20 games up front he's now playing on the left as he seemingly isn't an effective presser. In January we departed from our normal strategy of not spending large sums of money on players from weak leagues and bought in a left sided forward from Holland for £44mil (again choosing not to address midfield). He played a couple of games for us on the left and he was pretty poor and since then he's been pushed up top.

Whatever we do this summer, we really need see on the pitch in the first few months of the season what sort of team we're trying to build.

It's splashed all over the back of tonight's Echo that we won't be signing Belllingham and we are actively pursuing other targets.

Same thing happened with van Djik, Alisson and Thiago so I wouldn't say it's 100% that the saga is over. This has all come from the LFC press office with Paul Joyce having the exclusive. One thing is for sure is that we're not going to pay the £130mil that Dortmund seem to be asking for. Is there a compromise to be had between £80mil and £130mil? Time will tell I guess but that's a big gap to breach.

Bellingham is the number 1 target of all the financially doped crowd, he'll go for serious money, he's out of our league which is a shame because a young dynamic MF of Bellingham, Trent and  Bajcevic behind a front 3 of say, Diaz, Nunez and Mitado would have been great to see.