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Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has launched a blistering attack on the club's summer transfer strategy after they pulled out of the race to sign Jude Bellingham.
Liverpool had been one of the favourites to sign the Borussia Dortmund midfielder this summer, along with Real Madrid and Manchester City.
But on Wednesday, multiple reports claimed the Merseyside club had ended their interest after baulking at the potential cost of signing the England international.
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Dortmund are expected to demand more than £130m for Bellingham which, when combined with the midfielder's wages, was deemed too much for Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp's side are in desperate need of midfield reinforcements, with the team struggling down in eighth in the Premier League, and it is believed the Reds are not willing to spend the majority of their transfer budget on Bellingham because of the need to sign multiple players this summer.
Writing in his column for The Telegraph, Carragher accused Liverpool of being "weak" and "negligent" – claiming Liverpool fans had been "sold a dream" over Bellingham.
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"How can the club suddenly baulk at a valuation exceeding £100m? They know that is the going rate for the best in class," wrote Carragher.
"What really infuriates me is the red herring that Liverpool have reached the conclusion Bellingham is too expensive on the basis of Klopp's rebuild being bigger than initially thought. The club knows the elephant in the room is failing to sign a ready-made central midfielder last summer.
"What looked like a terrible mistake has become a monumental cock-up which has cost the club millions in the Champions League revenues they will lose by finishing outside of the top four, and has sent the team back to where it was just before Klopp's appointment."
Carragher questions Gakpo signing
Carragher went on to claim that the £40m signing of Cody Gakpo in January would have been better spent on bringing Bellingham to Anfield.
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"Liverpool have spent over £200m on strikers, and given Mohamed Salah a massive new contract, since they last bought a first-choice central midfielder. Those deals were necessary as Roberto Firmino was declining, and good money was recouped for 30-year-old Sadio Mane," he added.
"Then Cody Gakpo signed for £40m in January, even though the side was crying out for more midfield energy. Gakpo has made a promising start. I like him. But now it is even more baffling that another striker was prioritised. Most supporters would have willingly accepted the Gakpo outlay being kept back to turn a £90m Bellingham bid into a £130m signing.
"This is the first time I have openly questioned Liverpool's transfer policy during the Klopp era."
Reflecting on Liverpool's decision to end their pursuit of Bellingham, Carragher added: "To walk away because there is now too much work needed across the whole squad smacks of weakness, negligence and poor planning."
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Liverpool, Jamie Carragher, Football, Premier League, Jude Bellingham, Borussia Dortmund