Jude Bellingham and Liverpool transfer request emerges as Dortmund asked to accept $161m clause

Liverpool were in the race to sign Jude Bellingham as part of a squad shake-up this summer, but the England midfielder could still join in a year or two.

Liverpool fans received a major blow earlier this month when it was revealed the Reds were pulling out of the race to sign Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham.

Liverpool had long had their sights set on Bellingham but the scale of the overhaul required this summer after a disastrous season, coupled with the cost of signing Bellingham, forced the club to withdraw interest and focus on something to judge otherwise.

With all of this, most assumed Bellingham would leave Borussia Dortmund and it was just a matter of who. But this is not necessarily the case. What if he stays?

Speaking to the BBC, German journalist Sascha Staat believes Bellingham could stay in the Bundesliga for a few more years before potentially moving to Liverpool if they qualify for the Champions League.

“I think if they qualify for the Champions League in two years, he will be there,” Staat said. “Everyone talks about him leaving for the Premier League or the Spanish league, but why? If I was his manager, I would probably stay here for another season, maybe extend the contract, maybe have a clause $161m (£130m/€150m) release fee. “And it would be the best thing for his personal development, as a player, as a person, and he will have more opportunities when it comes to a club like Liverpool. So I think he will wait for another season. It will be better for him.”

“And that would be the best thing for his personal development, as a player, as a person, and he will have more opportunities when it comes to a club like Liverpool. So I think he will wait another season. the best for him.” him.”

Liverpool.com says: Most of the Where Will Bellingham Go saga assumed he would definitely go, but at just 19, maybe another year in Germany wouldn’t hurt him.

He will continue to grow into one of the best teams in the country and that gives Liverpool the opportunity this summer to sort out the squad and allow the club to focus on him to make him their top priority in a year’s time. It might make sense, but Real Madrid might have other ideas.

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Mason Mount and Ryan Gravenberch transfers sum up as Jurgen Klopp solves Liverpool’s silent transfer dilemma

Jordan Henderson has started every game for Liverpool since Jurgen Klopp adopted a new 3-2-5 form, but Nottingham Forest have shown he can be improved.

Jordan Henderson has played a particularly disciplined role throughout Jurgen Klopp’s stay on Merseyside. Although his duties have changed at times, he has primarily been tasked with providing Liverpool with an element of defensive security, marking players like Trent Alexander-Arnold and regularly winning possession of the ball in the middle of the park.

The Reds skipper was all about diligence, running, intensity and safety, with more creative players like Mohamed Salah tasked with scoring goals and assisting further. Liverpool have taken the footballing world by storm with that original momentum, but for now Klopp is playing with a new tactical range to improve results and performance at Anfield. Last week, when his side were eighth in the Premier League, Klopp felt it was time for a structural change.

Ahead of Liverpool’s Hollywood battle with Arsenal, he instructed his players to stick to their 4-3-3 go-to on the defensive side of the game, but adopt a new 3-2-5 formation when possession was insured.

The tactical adjustment saw right-back Alexander-Arnold slip into the center circle to play alongside Fabinho, while Andy Robertson moved from left-back to form a back three alongside Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté. Henderson and Curtis Jones then push higher in the final third, allowing the Reds to form a 3-2-5 with a box in center park.

On Saturday afternoon, Liverpool used the new concept for the third game in a row, beating Nottingham Forest by three goals to two. In fact, the Reds haven’t lost since their structural change, but the weekend game highlighted a potential issue surrounding Henderson’s inclusion.

Instead of providing a safety net for his teammates, Henderson is now being asked to fill tight spaces in the final third. He needs to pose a threat by connecting with others and generating scoring chances, which makes him part of an attacking bench of five.

Henderson is reasonably capable of performing those duties, but Nottingham Forest’s approach has caused problems. From the first whistle, Steve Cooper’s men showed their intention to play for a point and a bit more, with the Tricky Trees determined to defend without attempting to score.

In the first half, Liverpool controlled 86% possession, but the score remained 0-0. In fact, the Reds’ 80% possession percentage at the end of the game is by far their highest total of the season this season. “We had 86 per cent possession in the first half, it’s really strange,” Klopp said after the game. “It made everything difficult. We had to work hard.”

Nottingham Forest essentially asked Liverpool to break them up, and for long periods they failed to do so. Henderson was one of the reasons, perhaps more than ever, why he was asked to create, connect and pose a threat in the final third, despite the fact that he is not particularly skilled or offensively inclined.

The 32-year-old is a functional presence, used to playing in deeper areas and that’s a potential concern if Klopp sticks to his 3-2-5 recipe in attack. Whenever Liverpool are in the spotlight for creating openings in the final third, Henderson won’t be particularly fit to play in that bank of five forwards, with Harvey Elliott perhaps fitting into the bill a bit more.

The silent dilemma perhaps offers some insight into why the Reds are chasing Mason Mount and Ryan Gravenberch in the transfer market ahead of the summer window, as both midfielders are technical and more comfortable than Henderson when they receive the ball under pressure.

Overall, Liverpool certainly won’t dominate 80% of the ball every week, but as they continue to improve on the pitch, their opponents will continue to respect them as they try to defend deep from start to finish. When Klopp is faced with these hard-to-master scenarios, his skipper almost tends to become an obstacle.

Henderson can still be a useful and effective presence on Merseyside, but the 4-3-3 has helped his skills more than the 3-2-5. For now, Klopp seems to ignore this truth but the summer may offer a chance to add better suited players.