Could Liverpool really afford Bellingham?

Cameron Smith

• 7 Dec 2021 12:35 CST
• 4 min read

Liverpool are reportedly now leading the race for Borussia Dortmund's highly coveted midfielder Jude Bellingham, with Jurgen Klopp keen on the England international.

Bellingham, who joined Dortmund from Birmingham City in 2020, is now a fully-fledged member of Gareth Southgate's squad, and is expected to play a key role at the 2022 World Cup.

Recently most read

Premier League managers: Full list of current bosses

Which football managers have been sacked this season?

Who won Ballon d’Or 2024? Final ranking and past winners

An integral part of Dortmund's side, Bellingham has stepped up his level in impressive fashion over the past 12 months, and the talented player shown at Birmingham has blossomed into a world-class midfielder already.

It's hard to believe he's still only 18 years old considering his physical presence and aura on the pitch, while also possessing such technical prowess.

He dominated Dortmund's loss against Bayern Munich, the match in which he was fined for his comments about referee Felix Zwayer after the game, and such a theme has been recurring throughout this campaign.

With Erling Haaland suffering injury problems, and Jadon Sancho departing in the summer, Bellingham has arguably been Dortmund's main man this season, and he seems to control every game he plays.

So, it's no surprise that almost all of Europe's elite clubs are after him. He would arguably start for every team in the world, and hence he will cost a bucket load.

Capable of performing every midfield role at once, Bellingham does it all in the middle of the park; whether that be defending, attacking, or in transition, he is exceptional.

The Mirror have reportedly that Liverpool are now at the front of the queue, and are leading the race for Bellingham, but is a move to Anfield likely for the Birmingham-born midfielder?

The answer is probably not, and for a couple of reasons.

His contract situation

The biggest stumbling block for any suitors is Bellingham's contract at Dortmund. He renewed his deal at the Signal Iduna Park in June 2021, and so his current contract doesn't expire until 2025.

Not only does that leave Dortmund in a prime position to reject any offers, it means they will up the asking price to an extortionate level.

Furthermore, Birmingham have a 5% sell-on clause, so the Bundesliga side will likely increase the price by 5% to accommodate that, and ensure they still receive their desired fee.

This seriously complicates things for Liverpool.

Liverpool's reluctance to spend big

Bellingham's long contract almost rules out Liverpool unless they are willing to finally divert from their ways in the market.

Other than Virgil van Dijk and Alisson, the Reds have always shopped for lower prices than their rivals, opting for clever scouting, and player development over big-money signings. Even with Van Dijk and Alisson, they were only financed by the sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona.

Their owners don't tend to spend big, and with Bellingham extremely likely to cost over £100 million, they won't be able to afford him, unless they sell.

Fringe players could build up that transfer kitty like Chelsea did this summer, but they'd still have the buck their trend of transfer activity.

They also have a lower wage bill than other elite sides, and while Bellingham might not be driven by money, it could play a role in his thinking when it comes to choosing his next club.

Liverpool will have to alter their ways to sign Bellingham, and considering the success they've had by operating smartly, that seems slightly improbable.