Blow for Liverpool as PL rivals enter the race for £80m Bundesliga starlet

Transfer News: Liverpool and Manchester City to battle it out for Borussia Dortmund starlet Jude Bellingham

According to Daily Star (h/t Liverpool Echo), Manchester City have entered the race for Liverpool transfer target, Jude Bellingham, as they look for a long-term Fernandinho replacement.

The 36-year-old Brazilian is in the final year of his contract and Pep Guardiola has identified the 18-year-old Borussia Dortmund midfielder as a candidate to fill that void. Bellingham won’t come cheap for either of the two teams, as he could cost around £80million.

Liverpool’s links with the former Birmingham City midfielder have ‘intensified‘ recently. There is hardly any debate around his potential and ability, as he is already a regular for the German club and has also entered the England national team fray.

Bellingham is believed to have turned down the chance to join Manchester United in January 2020 in favour of a £25million move to Dortmund. Since then, he has made a name for himself playing in Lucian Favre, Edin Terzic, and now Marco Rose’s midfield.

Bellingham back to England?

Jurgen Klopp saw a dependable midfielder in Georginio Wijnaldum leave his ranks this summer. The Dutch midfielder now plies his trade in France with PSG while Xherdan Shaqiri was also sold to Ligue 1 outfit, Lyon.

Instead of bringing in a new face, the German manager seemingly chose Harvey Elliott as one of the players that can fill their void in the club’s midfield. But there is no doubt that Bellingham, a tried and tested midfielder already at the age of just 18, would be a superb acquisition.

Apart from his ability, his age makes any potential fee seem a bit more reasonable. He can, after all, end up giving a number of years of service to whichever clubs he joins next – if, of course, he does end up leaving the Black and Yellow.

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Jordan Henderson can’t keep playing forever while James Milner, already a fringe player by this point, is in the twilight of his career. Bellingham could be the man to lead the club’s midfield for the foreseeable future, but for that, the Reds would have to bring him to Anfield and possibly fight off the defending Premier League champions, Man City, for his signature.