Liverpool’s decision to give up on signing Jude Bellingham may have been a blow to their fans, but their rivals could be even more worried.
Multiple reports claim the Reds have ended their pursuit of the Borussia Dortmund superstar, with a £150million price tag too much to bear in a huge summer.
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£150m on just one player is too much for Liverpool
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Now the alternatives are taking shape
Bellingham were heavily linked with Liverpool with their future up in the air, and it looked like a match made in heaven.
However, with Jurgen Klopp’s side looking certain to miss out on Champions League football, the England international may well favor other options such as Real Madrid and Manchester City.
On top of that, Klopp needs a complete midfield rebuild, with all available money to be spread across multiple names, rather than Bellingham.
The Times claim that Liverpool are ‘drawing up a list of alternatives’ which could complicate matters for their Premier League rivals.
Chief among these would be Chelsea, who despite their wealth are struggling to retain star midfielder Mason Mount.
Liverpool are interested in the 24-year-old, who could be affordable with Chelsea in need of a major release, and the England international with just one year left on his contract.
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Liverpool could join race for Caicedo
Chelsea could also have rivals for Brighton duo Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo, as well as West Ham captain Declan Rice, who again has a favorable contract situation.
Arsenal have also already offered £75m for Caicedo in the January window, while their chances of landing Rice may now be even more complicated.
Liverpool are also reportedly interested in Ryan Gravenberch, who is not in favor of Bayern Munich, with Arsenal also interested in the Dutch international.
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Rice has been linked with Arsenal and Chelsea
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There will be competition for Gravenberch
As well as the aforementioned names, Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher would be of interest, as would former Sporting Lisbon duo Joao Palhinha and Mateus Nunes, who have impressed Fulham and Wolves respectively.
So while Madrid and City may have a clear path to Bellingham, Chelsea and Arsenal’s summer plans are set to be much more complicated than expected.