Liverpool reportedly believe they’re now in pole position to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham due to Kalvin Phillips’ proposed move to Manchester City.
As reported by Sportsmail, Pep Guardiola’s side have reached an agreement with Leeds to sign Phillips for £45million, with terms expected to be finalised next week.
Liverpool now believe they’re leading the race to sign 18-year-old Bellingham but the two teams are expected to battle for his signature.
That’s according to The Sun, who claim Jurgen Klopp is a big admirer pf the midfielder and has marked him as a top target next summer.
The same reports claims Guardiola is also a big fan of Bellingham and there is likely to be a tug-of-war between the two clubs.
The City boss is hopeful new signing Erling Haaland will sway Bellingham, who is valued at £80m, towards Manchester after spending time together at Dortmund.
Last month, Bellingham confirmed he will remain with Dortmund for the upcoming campaign, saying: ‘The only future I think of is the next game for Dortmund.
‘I’m really looking forward to next season. I can’t wait for it to finally start. But yes, I’ll be here next season, and I’ll be ready.’
He added: ‘I have my destiny in my own hands and know that I can develop further if I make an effort and trust the people around me.
‘I came from England as the young talent. There wasn’t much pressure. The first season went well. There were also games where I sat on the bench and sometimes didn’t play at all.
‘I think my development this year has meant that I’ve played a bigger role in every game except two. I’m really grateful to Dortmund for how they nurtured my talent.
‘I think a lot of the credit goes to the coaching staff and the staff who keep the hype around me low. So I can just focus on winning games, because that’s what I’m here for.’
Liverpool have already strengthened their squad this summer with the signings of £85million striker Darwin Nunez from Benfica, Fabio Carvalho from Fulham and Calvin Ramsay from Aberdeen.