Liverpool May Have Found The Perfect Alternative To Jude Bellingham

Liverpool have identified RB Salzburg midfielder Luka Sucic as a more attainable alternative to Jude Bellingham, and may move for him in this window.

Despite the Dortmund star having been Liverpool’s clear first choice target to bolster their midfield for some time, it appears to be becoming increasingly difficult to attain the 18-year-old.

According to AS, Chelsea and Real Madrid are also interested in Bellingham, both of whom would have the financial power to outmuscle the Reds in a straight fight for the Borussia Dortmund starlet.

Now, according to Teamtalk, Jurgen Klopp is considering making a move for Croatian midfielder Sucic, as they look for alternative options to Bellingham.

The 19-year-old is already a regular for Austrian champions Salzburg, managing 44 appearances and 11 goals from midfield last season.

Not only would Liverpool be able to attract the prospect, it’d also come at a significantly reduced price in comparison to Bellingham.

While Dortmund are demanding somewhere in the region of €100 million for the England international, Salzburg are only looking for £30 million for Sucic.

The Merseyside club also already have an existing relationship with the Austrian giants, having taken Takumi Minamino from them in January 2020.

Klopp is looking to bolster his ageing midfield after completing the signings of Darwin Nunez, Calvin Ramsay and Fabio Carvalho already this summer.

Despite reports suggesting that they may wait until 2023 to make an addition in this department, if a good opportunity arose in this market, they may be inclined to take it. 

The likes of Thiago Alcantara, James Milner and Jordan Henderson are all on the wrong side of 30, while both Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have just a year remaining on their current deals and their futures are uncertain.

Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliot and new signing Carvalho are young players in the middle of the park who could make an impact, but further additions here are required if Liverpool want to keep competing at the top.