Liverpool have been told not to expect any ‘gifts’ during negotiations for Jude Bellingham, by Borussia Dortmund Managing director Carsten Cramer.
The Reds have been active in their pursuit of Bellingham, who is on the radar of several elite European clubs. The likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, and Real Madrid have been linked with the Englishman.
The Schwarz Gelben are resigned to the fact they will lose Bellingham next summer but are determined to keep him until at least the end of the season. That being said, with him contracted at the Signal Iduna Park until 2025, interested clubs will have to pay a heavy fee to prise him away from Dortmund.
Liverpool had been hoping that Jurgen Klopp’s ties with the German outfit would help them secure a deal for Bellingham. While Cramer has admitted that he would like Bellingham to join Liverpool if he’s sold, he’s admitted that the Merseyside outfit will be handed no favours during the negotiations.
Speaking about Liverpool’s interest in the 19-year-old, Cramer said,
“We have a high sympathy for Liverpool for sure. We are still in a good relationship with Jurgen and many others at Liverpool, so for me, it’s my preferred club in the EPL as well,”
“But don’t expect that we will make gifts to Liverpool, He (Bellingham) has a contract. I’m a sales person regarding commercial business, but not regarding the player’s business.
“We are happy to have him on board a hundred percent and the longer Jude will play for us, the better it will be.”
(via 90min)
Our View
Liverpool are looking to step up their interest in Bellingham but the former Premier League champions will have to make a substantial and possibly, a record bid, to secure the midfielders signature.
The Stourbridge-born star has been valued at £87 million by Transfermarkt but many media outlets suggest his price will be north of £100m, especially if he continues to impress at the World Cup.
It remains to be seen if Liverpool can manage to agree on a deal with Dortmund for Bellingham but to convince the player, they must first secure a UEFA Champions League spot as that could prove to be a decisive factor.
