Liverpool are reportedly considering making a club-record bid for a Champions League winner who plays for an elite European club.
Premier League champions Liverpool spent £446 million on transfers in the summer transfer window, with high-profile players including Alexander Isak (£125 million), Florian Wirtz (£116 million), Milos Kerkez (£40 million), and Jeremie Frimpong (£29.5 million) all joining the club.
However, it is arguably only Hugo Ekitike, who joined from Eintracht Frankfurt for £69 million, who so far has justified his price tag by scoring 11 times in 24 appearances for the Reds.
Liverpool’s Premier League title defence has not gone as planned, with Slot’s side currently fourth in the English top-flight, 14 points off leaders Arsenal.
Several fans have questioned whether Liverpool will dip into the winter market, with the club already signing Senegal youth centre-back Mor Talla Ndiaye earlier in January.
The 18-year-old will initially be part of Robert Page’s Under-21 side.
Meanwhile, the Reds have also been linked with a high-profile midfielder who would no doubt excite the Anfield faithful.
As reported by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Liverpool’s management see Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude Bellingham as a player capable of changing their fortunes this season.
The outlet claims that the English side are prepared to submit €180 million (£156 million), which would smash their previous club record of £125 million spent on Isak last summer.
The 22-year-old is currently contracted to Los Blancos until July 2029, with the club firm in their stance that they want the player to remain at the Santiago Bernabeu as Xabi Alonso looks to imprint his style on the La Liga side. The report also claims that Real see the player as “untouchable”.
Real also harbour concerns about replacing Bellingham, with Fichajes reporting that “the club understands that replacing Jude Bellingham isn’t possible in the current market, regardless of the available budget.
“Furthermore, the player feels fully integrated. His influence in the dressing room and his prominent role on the pitch reinforce the idea of him staying at Real Madrid”.
Bellingham has registered 43 goals and 32 assists in 122 Real Madrid appearances since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in 2023.
The Englishman has helped the side win La Liga and the Champions League during his time in the Spanish capital and remains a key player in Alonso’s side.
Of course, before his move to Spain, the English midfielder was heavily linked with a transfer to Liverpool, but he said a move “wasn’t as close as people made out” when speaking in 2024.
