Exclusive: Jude Bellingham could still sign for Liverpool, after potential five-man incoming transfer window

Every word of Empire of the Kop's exclusive interview with sports journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos. Bellingham, Gvardiol, Caicedo, Mac Allister... and much more!

The name on everyone's lips at the moment is Jude Bellingham. Simply, what do you know about Liverpool's pursuit or, maybe lack of it, of Bellingham?

“It was quite a surprise what happened in the last couple of days, two or three days, about Liverpool and Jude Bellingham. We all know about the links in most of the English media that Liverpool are out of the Bellingham race.

“I'm quite surprised because Liverpool is a top club, everyone knows about the impact the club has in the market and of course, we all know all the economical data and status for this transfer.

“It's not in April of 2023 that we discover the amount of money that this transfer could be, around £100 million. It's something that we all knew at least one year ago.

“Of course, in the World Cup, Bellingham made the performances that was at a level we expect, he's a top player, it's not something new.

“The new thing is that, in my personal opinion, not so much as an ‘in the know’, but I think something to conclude from this is that what Liverpool did is for me a strategy move from Liverpool to say, or to make public, that they are out from the Bellingham transfer.

“I’m not saying that Liverpool 100% will get Bellingham, but for sure he was or is the number one target, primary target of Liverpool Football Club.

“So, it will be a big transfer, yes, it will be. Maybe a transfer of over £100 million, at least, this summer, a lot of money but that's not something new as I said before. It's something that we all knew, at least one year ago.

“And, if we knew it, for sure, Liverpool knew it faster than us. You know, Liverpool is a big club with a lot of people who actually work on this situation about transfers. A lot of people are working on transfers and especially for prices around £50, £60, £100 million.

“So, for me, it's a strategic movement from Liverpool. And, of course, there is a lot of information that maybe Bellingham will stay in Borussia Dortmund for at least one more year. And, if this happens and he doesn’t sign a new deal with Borussia, then his contract will expire in summer 2025, so next summer he will have only one year on his contract.

“Things may be a lot different at this period of time, nobody knows if another club will make an offer at £100, £120 million to Borussia for Bellingham in summer 2023. The German club wants to get a lot of money for him and for their plans. But, I think that the Bellingham story is not over yet”.

Do you have any idea what initial offer Liverpool have made and what that amount was around, at all?

“Well, I don't know, but I heard that it was £80, £85 million. I don't know if it was an official offer or if it was just some talks, or negotiations from Liverpool to Borussia Dortmund: ‘What do you think about an offer at this amount of money?”.

“For me, the most important thing for this story is that Liverpool will not have a big star player for £100 million. The most important thing is that Liverpool will have a player who fits 100% in Liverpool's style of play.

“I've seen every Liverpool match in the last 30 years, believe me. And, I think that Bellingham is a player who fits Liverpool for the next season, or for the next two seasons. If Liverpool cannot get Bellingham this summer, it will be not be a glamour story, or a fantasy story from Liverpool to Real Madrid, or Man City, like deals for Erling Haaland or Aurelien Tchouameni, or other stories, it will be a transfer that will solve a lot of problems for Liverpool.

“We all know what happened with midfielders this season and the poor performances. So, I don't know if the offer was official or it was just a conversation. Of course, every club, if they want a player, it’s not something new, and I will not sound smart if I say this, but, every club, if you want a player, you will make an offer, not at the amount of money that you know the club that has a player wants.

“So, you start from below and you come up with better offers and better offers. Of course, there are other details in deals like this, details for bonuses or money for winning titles, performances, goals and all this stuff.

“So, I think it's a story that will go on and on, and we will see, it's a big transfer issue. No one can predict anything in transfers, a lot of transfers have gone differently during the final days, months, or even hours.

“What Klopp said in his press conference, and of course Klopp has a higher IQ than me and he’s a great manager, I'm a huge fan of his mentality and his managerial skills. He's a great manager and a great guy and he's much, much smarter than me, for sure. He knows what to say, how to say and when to say things about a transfer”.

If Liverpool do come in with a second offer, what do you think Liverpool will have to bid at the end of this negotiation in order to make Bellingham a Liverpool player?

“I think that it will be a transfer for £100 million plus, for sure.

“From summer 2022, Dortmund have expressed to any club that are interested in Bellingham, what they want and they will not sell cheap. It's a big issue, if Bellingham costs £100 million, for me at the age we live in 2023 - I think he's a player of £100 million. Liverpool will have to pay more than £100 million with bonuses, for Bellingham.

“If Liverpool go for other players during the summer of 2023 and go back to Bellingham in 2024, it's a strategic plan. It is a transfer that has to go for this amount of money it can't go below”.

Who are our biggest competitors, if he doesn't end up at Liverpool, where do you think Bellingham could be signing?

“Next season? I think he will be at Dortmund. With the data that we have at this moment in April 2023, I think he will stay in Dortmund. Bellingham is a smart player with smart people around him.

“You can see what's happening with Real Madrid. They would like to make a transfer but in this [midfield] position, they have Luka Modric, he’s 35 plus, and Toni Kroos, is not young anymore. They also buy Tchouameni, he's not playing. So Real Madrid is a difficult and really strange club, for a player to adjust.

“Liverpool is much easier because he's English. He knows what Liverpool is and how important a club it is. My position and my information is that he will stay [at Dortmund] but the most dangerous competitor for Liverpool? I think it would be Manchester City.

“It's also an English club, Pep Guardiola knows how talented Bellingham is, and he also fits in his plan. Liverpool and Man City are not playing the same style of football, but they have similarities, especially when they have the ball. When Liverpool or Man City have the ball, they have a lot of similarities in the way they want to break the opponent down.

“Bellingham will be a great player for every club, but this will be a very big chance for Man City [to sign him]. So, I think the most dangerous competitor for Liverpool is Man City”.

If Liverpool don’t sign Bellingham, have you heard of any other players that could be coming this summer?

“I think this will be the most important and great summer that Liverpool will have. Every summer, Liverpool signs someone great but, I think it's going to be a very, very important summer for Liverpool.

“Maybe a centre-back will come. I'm at least 90% sure that a centre-back will come to Liverpool. Van Dijk and Konate are great players, but Liverpool wants someone after them, or a player that can play with them. So, I think there will be a centre-back.

“Josko Gvardiol is a player that no one can say that he can’t star for Liverpool, he can play for Liverpool. But of course, he's a player who has a big transfer fee also, around £80 million, which is also a big amount of money.

“But, midfielders - Liverpool will have to buy at least two. Maybe it's a small number what I say but Jordan Henderson and Fabinho will be there, Thiago will be there - he’s a great player, but with a lot of injuries. So, you need a player who can carry the ball but also a player who play in defence. All these players in modern football can play as a six and an eight.

“There a lot of names, especially after the the Bellingham news. Moises Caicedo is a player that Liverpool wants. Alexis Mac Allister, for sure is on the list.

“Enzo Fernandez was on the list, but Liverpool saw that his transfer went for £120 million. A lot of money for Enzo Fernandez, and only with one year of competitive European football on his back. He did the great World Cup, for sure, but £120 million is a lot of money.

“So, I think, Liverpool will sign at least two midfielders, maybe three. A centre-back for sure, maybe a right-back. I think Liverpool want a player who can play when Trent Alexander-Arnold needs some rest”.

Maybe then not this summer but eventually, do you think Liverpool will sign Jude Bellingham?

“This is the £100 million question! I think yes, maybe next summer but I think yes.

“I think Bellingham also wants Liverpool, I think he believes that they are right for his career.

“We don't know, we cannot predict the future, but, as we speak, I think Bellingham will sign for Liverpool”.

Thank you once again to Giannis Chorianopoulos for taking the time to talk with us and make sure to give him a follow on his Twitter account: @choria80

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