Liverpool pull out of Jude Bellingham race – to target his international team-mate: report
Liverpool have wanted Jude Bellingham all season long – but now one report says that they have all but given up hope of signing him
Liverpool have given up on their pursuit of Jude Bellingham altogether – and have turned to their Plan B.
That's according to one report that states the riches of Manchester City and Real Madrid have led the Reds to abandon their plan to bring the England teen to Anfield. On Monday morning, David Ornstein of The Athletic wrote that Liverpool were ever more "unlikely" to bring the starlet to the club.
But French outlet FootMercato have gone a step further, claiming that Liverpool are "pulling out" of the race.
The report states that instead, Liverpool will move for the much more attainable Mason Mount of Chelsea, who transfer guru Fabrizio Romano says is "very likely that he will leave".
Mount has recently appointed a new agent – and as FFT suggested early in March, signing the 24-year-old would allow the Reds to reinvest across the team.
Despite this new report, however, it seems unlikely that Liverpool will withdraw all interest from Bellingham. Thierry Henry recently claimed that the player himself wants a move to Merseyside, while there's still a chance that Liverpool will qualify for the Champions League.
Other reports have stated that Liverpool could purchase both Bellingham and Mount in their rebuild.
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Liverpool are seven points off the top four with two games in hand on fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
Bellingham is valued at €110m by Transfermarkt
More Liverpool stories
Jurgen Klopp has addressed the "clear need" for a Liverpool rebuild this summer – and reports suggest there could be a lot of money spent.
Josko Gvardiol is a top target, with Mason Mount on the wishlist, too. Seven other players are in the summer plans, with an eye on the future as well. A player dubbed "the next Luka Modric" could be targeted, while Benfica's latest starlet Florentino Luis is being considered. 15-year-old Kendry Paez is also being linked.
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, meanwhile, is rumoured to be in the running for the Paris Saint-Germain management job.
Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.