‘He wants’ - Borussia Dortmund have already revealed Jude Bellingham plan amid Liverpool links

Liverpool are hoping to sign a midfielder before the summer transfer window shuts on 1 September.
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It was a transfer U-turn that was welcomed by almost every single Kopite.

Since the start of pre-season, swathes of fans have clamoured for Liverpool to sign a midfielder in the transfer window.

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Yet Jurgen Klopp remained steadfast that the Reds did not need to bolster their engine room. He was confident there were enough options and solutions in his squad.

But after losing Thiago Alcantara, Curtis Jones, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to injury - coupled with Liverpool failing to win their opening three Premier League matches - the Anfield chief conceded defeat.

He even admitted he was wrong - which hasn’t been often during his tenure.

‘That changed’

“We are looking for it,” Klopp said before the Reds’ 9-0 thrashing of Bournemouth last Saturday.

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“If it is the right player, we need him. If it is not the right player, we don’t need him.

“That changed, of course. I know we have had this discussion since it all started and I am the one who said we don’t need a midfielder and you were all right and I was wrong. That’s the situation.”

Bellingham links

With the transfer window closing at 23.00 BST on Thursday 1 September, Klopp is running out of time if he does want a fresh engine-room operator through the door.

Targets will be identified as we speak, reports created in a bid to get the right player through the door.

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One chunky dossier that might already sit in Klopp’s office is on Jude Bellingham.

Liverpool have been long-time admirers of the teenage sensation. Indeed, supporters aplenty would place him at the top of their wish list.

Bellingham, despite being just 19, has established himself as one of Europe’s leading midfielders since joining Borussia Dortmund from Birmingham City two years ago.

In 105 appearances, he has recorded 11 goals and 19 assists.

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However, earlier this summer Klopp ruled out signing Bellingham - citing he’s unavailable.

The Bundesliga giants sold Erling Haaland to Manchester City and would not want to lose another star player.

Indeed, Bellingham will be expected to continue his hurtling progress at Dortmund.

He’s been made the club’s third captain despite being just 19.

Terzic’s stance

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And boss Edin Terzic earlier this summer challenged Bellingham to take up the mantle of die Schwarzgelben losing Haaland.

It provides further evidence that the England international will unlikely be the solution many Liverpool fans hoped for.

Speaking after Dortmund’s 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen on the opening day of the season, Terzic said: “Jude came to us as a teenager and is now slowly becoming a young adult.

“Over the course of the last two years, he has developed really well both physically and in terms of his character.”

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“He wants to have this type of responsibility, he can handle it, so we were happy to give it him.

“He’s been one of our most consistent players over the last couple of years. I said a year and a half ago and I still stand by it: ‘We don’t know how good he is yet’.

“We’re trying to find out what his ceiling will be.”