Jurgen Klopp has admitted Liverpool have been forced to accept defeat in their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham.
Liverpool have been working on a deal to sign the England international for years but have been forced to pull out of a race which is growing far too expensive for a side with limited resources and significant transfer needs elsewhere in the squad.
Dortmund, if they do sell Bellingham this summer, are expected to demand a fee of at least €150m which, added to wages and agents fees, have seen Liverpool step aside, leaving Manchester City and Real Madrid as the likeliest destinations for the 19-year-old.
Asked about Liverpool’s decision, Klopp told Friday’s press conference: “There’s nothing to say about it to be honest. If we don’t speak about players we are signing or not signing, why would we now speak about this kind of speculation? Really nothing to say.”
Klopp was pressed on the situation and later went on to compare Liverpool’s pursuit of Bellingham to a child asking for a Ferrari for Christmas.
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“It’s not about Jude Bellingham,” the boss continued. “I never understood why we constantly talk about things we theoretically cannot have.
“We cannot have six players in the summer where everybody is £100m, for example. You have to realise what you can do, and they you have to work with it. ‘How much money do we have available?’, and then you have to work with that. That’s the job we have to do.
“We are not children. Ask a five-year-old what they want for Christmas and they’ll say a Ferrari. You wouldn’t say that’s a good idea. It’s too expensive, and anyway you can’t even drive it. That’s how it is. If this kid is then unhappy his whole life because he cannot get a Ferrari, that would be a really sad life. It’s just what can you do, and then you work with that.
“That’s how I’ve always worked. What we need and what we want, we try absolutely everything to get it, but there are moments when you have to accept this or that is not possible for us, so we step aside and do different stuff.”
Liverpool still intend to bolster in midfield but face an anxious wait over Chelsea’s next round of contract talks with Mason Mount, who will be sold if he does not agree an extension this summer.
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On this edition of Talking Transfers, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders, Graeme Bailey & Toby Cudworth discuss Liverpool missing out on Jude Bellingham this summer, Chelsea potentially hanging on to Mason Mount, Ryan Gravenberch interesting Man Utd & Arsenal & more!
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Credit: 90min.com
