A decision to bring Jude Bellingham to Anfield this summer appears to be in limbo after the 19-year-old was reportedly closer to a move to Real Madrid.
The Reds are also expected to be interested in Eintracht Frankfurt centre-back Evan Ndicka on a free transfer but are expected to miss out on Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners, according to the same source.
Paul Merson makes no-nonsense prediction for Liverpool’s clash with Brighton
Paul Merson believes the best Liverpool can hope for against Brighton on Saturday is a draw and insists he is “friendly” with his prediction of a 2-2 draw. Merson told Sportskeeda: “The only thing you can be sure of in this game is the goals. Arsenal blew Brighton out of the water last week, but Brighton have since won their games 4-1 and 5-1. They score goals for fun.
“Liverpool still have a chance of making the top four, but they are eight points behind Newcastle at the moment. We haven’t played as many games as usual in the Premier League because of the World Cup. and we’ll know more about their top four chances by the end of February. “Liverpool won’t be the same without Virgil Van Dijk in the team. It’s his Rolls Royce. It’s an important game for Liverpool and I don’t see Brighton losing this game. And I’m nice to Liverpool here.
Real Madrid are reportedly ready to pay a package worth over £200m to sign Jude Belligham. The Reds remain heavily linked with the Borussia Dortmund midfielder, who is also attracting interest from the Spanish capital.
According to Defensa Central, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is close to ‘finalizing the signing of Bellingham’.
And a report from their sister website Planet Real Madrid claims the La Liga giants are preparing a €270m (£240m) financial package to sign Bellingham.
It is claimed that €120m (£106m) of that would be the transfer fee, with the rest being agent fees and the player’s wages on a six-year contract.
Liverpool keep tabs on defenders for free
Liverpool have been linked with a move from Eintracht Frankfurt centre-back Evan Ndicka. According to journalist Ben Jacobs, speaking on the Football Terrace, the Reds are one of many clubs interested in signing Ndicka this summer.
It has been claimed that Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are all in the running to sign the player.
“He’s a highly sought-after player and one who will be of enormous value this summer, provided there is no new contract with Eintracht Frankfurt,” Jacobs said.
“The 23-year-old is on a mad dash across Europe. Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea maybe. Liverpool have been keeping tabs on him and a slew of others across Europe. PSG is another option.
“Top player, excellent value, 1.88 tall, modern defender, great season so far for Eintracht Frankfurt, he can also score with goals.
“There are two things to quickly say here. Number one is that we have to keep in mind that a summer move is sure to be a frenzied blowout if the player is available on a free transfer. “The second thing is that of course everything would be complicated if a new contract was signed. But at the moment you have the feeling that the player is very seriously available on a free transfer.”
Jude Bellingham has revealed the high standards he holds for himself and his team-mates given links with Liverpool.
“You have to live with the fact that when you look at the table Borussia Dortmund are in sixth place,” Bellingham told club media.
“There’s no way we’re in the table given the talent and no disrespect to the teams above us at the moment.
“But I think in terms of the quality and depth of the players in the positions, we should be much higher than what we are. “And I’m not afraid to tell the guys and the staff because that’s where our ambitions should be.
“But it’s about doing rather than talking.”