The full blown silly season is still several weeks away, but transfer rumors are year round. When it comes to Borussia Dortmund and England midfielder Jude Bellingham, the narratives surrounding him have been intense for well over a year. The conventional wisdom had been that Liverpool were leading the way to sign him, but now they are out of the running.
The fact that they won’t be playing Champions League football next season now has them out of the running though.
Liverpool vs Leeds United FYIs
Kick Off: Mon. Apr 17, 2023, 8pm UK at Elland Rd
Team News for Both Sides: go here
Team News for Both Sides: Go here
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Google Result Probability: Liverpool 56% Draw `22% Leeds United 22%
PL Position, Form Guide: Liverpool 8th, 44 pts DDLLW Leeds United 16th, 29 pts LWLWD
Liverpool have decided to pull out of the race for the young Englishman, deciding to focus instead on allocating those funds for more of a general squad overhaul. A lot of teams are interested in Bellingham, with Manchester City now thought to firmly be leading the way. Although Real Madrid will be a major factor in the derby as well.
“There’s nothing to say about it ( Jude Bellingham ), to be honest,” Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said today, as he refused to get into a discussion on the topic.
“If we don’t speak about players we sign or do not sign, why would I talk about these kinds of speculation?” It is not about Jude Bellingham, but I never understand why we talk about things we theoretically cannot have. We cannot have six players in a summer, everyone for £100 million. That is clear.”
He really has a point there, about the discussions of transfer rumors. They are overkill; and then some. Then Klopp used a funny analogy about the situation.
“We are not children. Ask a five-year-old what they want for Christmas and they say a Ferrari, you wouldn’t say that’s a good idea, it’s too expensive and you cannot drive it.
“Whatever we need and want, we try everything to get it but there are moments where we have to accept and step aside.”
Klopp has a point- Fenway Sports Group isn’t splashing the cash for his squad like they used to.
And given what he said here- it sounds like they won’t be spending big on new players this summer either.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.