Jude Bellingham Could Become The Next Face Of Liverpool: Here's What We Know

Liverpool FC are reportedly planning to make midfielder Jude Bellingham the next face of the club.

Bellingham is contracted with Borussia Dortmund until 2025, but the young midfielder is being linked with a move away from the Bundesliga side next summer.

Liverpool are willing to pay around $98 million for Bellingham ahead of the 2023 summer window, reported German outlet The BILD. However, the Reds will have fierce competition from other top European clubs such as Real Madrid, Manchester City and Chelsea, who are known to have better financial possibilities.

Bellingham, who joined Dortmund in 2020, has established himself as one of the best midfielders in Europe, scoring 19 goals and 20 assists in 109 matches for the German club in all competitions.

Liverpool's management is believed to be very much on board for chasing Bellingham next summer. Liverpool have had a poor start to the 2022-23 season as they are struggling in the Premier League. One of their main concerns is their central midfield and Bellingham could be the ideal solution.

While Liverpool have set aside $98 million for Bellingham, that may not be enough as Dortmund have labeled the 19-year-old midfielder with a transfer fee of over $115 million.

Earlier, Bellingham had reacted to his transfer links, saying talking about his future while being at Dortmund would be "disrespectful" to the Signal Iduna Park side.

"The club [Dortmund] have done loads for me and made me feel very welcome since I first came and gave me the opportunities to develop even further. To look past that and into the future would be disrespectful," Bellingham said.

He also received praise from Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, who called him a "whole package."

"The quality, everybody knows it. The whole package is really good. He was 17 when he arrived but it was not just about his quality, [it was] how he was leading, his kicking, going to the referee. This guy was something special in terms of his mentality. Now he is 19 and he is already one of the captains," Guardiola said of Bellingham.

In the summer of 2022, Manchester City signed Erling Haaland, who was Bellingham's teammate at Dortmund, for around two years. Haaland took little time to settle in the Premier League as he has been shattering records since his arrival at Etihad Stadium.

The Norwegian striker has netted 17 goals in 11 league appearances for City, including three hat-tricks. Overall, Haaland has scored 22 goals and three assists in 16 games for Guardiola's side across all competitions.