Liverpool wasted golden opportunity to improve Bellingham transfer chances after costly autumn mistake

Liverpool missed a golden opportunity to improve their chances of signing Jude Bellingham in autumn.

The Reds have endured a woeful campaign so far. Despite having last term been in pursuit of the quadruple until the season’s dying embers, this season Jurgen Klopp’s side are out of both domestic cups, and already facing Champions League elimination.

Indeed, the Merseyside club were humbled 5-2 by Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at Anfield, seriously harming their chance of progressing to the next round.

Meanwhile, Klopp's side are also struggling in the Premier League. The Reds are sixth in the table, some six points adrift of the Champions League spots.

In turn, Liverpool have been tipped to spend big in the summer in a bid to address the glaring weaknesses in their squad.

The Reds have allegedly identified Bellingham as their number-one transfer target, though will have to battle the likes of Real, Paris Saint-German, Manchester City and Chelsea to secure the 19-year-old’s services.

Liverpool wasted golden Bellingham opportunity

Liverpool wasted a golden opportunity to improve their chances of signing Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund in the summer.

Indeed according to the Mail Online, Dortmund are one of two Bundesliga clubs attempting to lure Naby Keita to Germany in the summer.

The Guinea international’s contract expires in June, and the midfielder is likely to depart Merseyside after a trophy-laden spell in which he has helped the club to the Champions League, Premier League, and both domestic cups.

And Dortmund and Bundesliga rival RB Leipzig have identified Keita as an achievable target given his contract status and alleged preference for a move to Germany.

However, the report also claims that Dortmund registered their interest in Keita with Liverpool in the autumn, though both club and player rejected a January move with Klopp's midfield already at its bare bones.

Indeed, if the club had sold Keita to Dortmund in the January window, they could have either included an agreement over a future move for Bellingham or at least improved their relationship with Dortmund over a potential transfer.

Topics: Football, Borussia Dortmund, Jude Bellingham, Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp, Transfers, RB Leipzig

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.