Jude Bellingham latest: Dortmund midfielder ‘prefers’ Real Madrid switch but Liverpool ‘remain optimistic’

The biggest ongoing transfer news story in world football continues to be the future of Jude Bellingham, who looks increasingly likely to be leaving Borussia Dortmund in the summer.

Liverpool have been the Premier League club most consistently linked with the England international but competition to sign him is fierce not just from the Reds’ league rivals but across Europe. Here are the latest reports coming out from the situation with the player and what it could mean for Jurgen Klopps’s side:

Bellingham ‘prefers’ Real Madrid to Premier League but Liverpool ‘remain optimistic’

A report from The Mirror this morning says that Borussia Dortmund are set to hold ‘crunch talks’ with Bellingham this week about his future at the club. It is claimed that the former Birmingham City starlet has indicated he would prefer a move to Real Madrid over any interest from the Premier League.

However, it is also being reported abroad that there has been no dialogue between any club with Dortmund over Bellingham but the talks that will take place this week will be over his future at the end of the season. It is said that the German side will ‘consider the player’s preference’ when speaking to potential buyers.

With the player highly unlikely to leave Dortmund in the current window, that still gives the Reds plenty of time to prepare a package that could sway Bellingham in their direction rather than the Spanish capital. With that in mind, Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg recently reported more promising news for Liverpool fans.

He says that Anfield bosses are still ‘optimistic’ they can land the midfielder. The reporter also says that the club will offer him the chance to be ‘the next Steven Gerrard’. It’s unclear exactly what that means, but it’s obvious that the Reds see him as a star player for several years to come and even a potential future club captain.

He wrote: “Liverpool bosses are still optimistic to sign him in summer. Talks took place but important to say: He hasn’t yet spoken personally to #Klopp so far. And there is no official offer. #LFC offers him the possibility to become the new Steven Gerrard.”