Borussia Dortmund 'afraid of upsetting Jude Bellingham' as Liverpool end their pursuit

Borussia Dortmund are afraid of upsetting Jude Bellingham, it has been claimed.

It has been widely reported that Liverpool have opted not to pursue a move for Bellingham this summer because of the high transfer fee involved.

The 19-year-old has been heavily linked to a Liverpool move for months, though the transfer fee that would likely be needed to prise him away from the Bundesliga would be in excess of £100million at least.

Jurgen Klopp described Bellingham as “exceptional” following the England international’s performances at the 2022 World Cup, while it had been widely claimed he was the Merseyside club’s No.1 transfer target.

Yet, Liverpool require several recruits in the summer, and the size of the Bellingham deal alone means the Reds do not consider the transfer a viable option.

So what does this mean for Bellingham’s future? He is still thought to have interest from Manchester City, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid while remaining at Dortmund for another season is not beyond the realms of possibility.

Borussia Dortmund “afraid of upsetting Bellingham”

Speaking before news of Liverpool ending their pursuit of Bellingham emerged, former Liverpool star Didi Hamann claimed the teenager lacks discipline on the pitch, but added that figures at Dortmund were afraid to criticise the player.

Speaking to German television, the often outspoken Hamann fired a warning to the slew of clubs pursuing Bellingham.

He said on Sky Sports Germany via AS: “I’m not too sure about Bellingham, he’s an incredibly talented player who has extraordinary skills. The only thing he doesn’t have is discipline,”

“If you look at the goals that Dortmund have conceded in the last few weeks and months, I can tell you, he was at fault for five or six of them.

“If you want to go to a top club like Real Madrid or Liverpool, you have to play differently. At Dortmund, you can do whatever you want.

“Nobody dares to say anything because they are afraid of upsetting him. I would be careful if I were Real Madrid, Liverpool or Manchester City.

“Of course, he is an exceptional player who is still very young, but little by little he has to incorporate discipline into his game”.

Topics: Jude Bellingham, Liverpool, Transfers, Borussia Dortmund, Premier League, Real Madrid, Manchester City

Chris Byfield

Sport journalist with experience writing on football, rugby, boxing and the Olympics. I'm also a Crystal Palace fan. Please don't hold this against me.