‘FSG will be’ - what national media said about Liverpool ending Jude Bellingham interest

Liverpool are out of the race for Jude Bellingham.

Jurgen Klopp has decided against a pursuit of the Borussia Dortmund midfielder during the upcoming summer transfer window despite being a long-term admirer.

An expected fee well excess of £100 million to prise Bellingham to Anfield has put off the Reds. Instead, they’re planning a rebuld in midfield amid a lacklustre 2022-23 season - with several signings instead being prioritised.

The news broke late on Tuesday evening and here’s what the national media had to say.

Paul Joyce - The Times

In the meantime, the midfield has become the issue many feared it would be and results have conspired to leave Liverpool out of the cup competitions and off the pace in the league.

Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are leaving on free transfers, injuries have reared and the drop off in form from players such as Fabinho has highlighted weaknesses.

Clearly, the club feels an overhaul is now required and signings may be sought in other areas too. The situation is not being viewed as similar to that of Van Dijk, or even Alisson, who joined for £65 million in the summer of 2018 to solve a pressing goalkeeping conundrum. Rather, it is one that requires more ammunition than a silver bullet. Whether they are shooting themselves in the foot, only time will tell.

Chris Bascombe - The Telegraph

Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group will also be aware of the critical gaze upon them from a section of the fanbase who felt the failure to sign a midfielder last summer has contributed to the dire campaign.

The messaging from the club was they were waiting for the right player rather than any player. That was taken as a repeat of the comments in the summer of 2017 when Liverpool chose not to pursue an alternative to £75 million Virgil van Dijk because they were sure he could be signed at a later date, the centre-back joining the following January.

It was similar when £65 million goalkeeper Alisson Becker joined in 2018, Klopp having stuck with Loris Karius until such time the preferred alternative was on the market. The difference then was Liverpool felt they only had to fill a number of key positions, and they also swelled their finances with the sale of Philippe Coutinho.

FSG have made no secret of their current challenges finding the revenues necessary to compete for the most expensive players.That is one of the reasons why they have been searching for an outside investor, although even if a millionaire partner was found it can not be assumed they will pump in millions for transfers given the financial fair play rules in operation which are supposed to prevent clubs spending beyond legal limits relative to their earnings.

Andy Hunter - The Guardian

Klopp has told the club’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, to move swiftly on transfer deals having lost out to Real Madrid in pursuit of the midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni last summer. A drawn-out battle for Bellingham’s signature would increase the risk of other targets moving elsewhere and Liverpool accept they cannot afford to miss out on several alternative options.

Dominic King - Daily Mail

Klopp hinted last week that Liverpool's recruitment plans this summer would not necessarily meet the expectations of supporters. But this is not the first time he or the club have been prepared to make an unpopular decision to focus on the wider picture.