It's no secret that Liverpool are in dire need of midfield reinforcements. With Jordan Henderson and Fabinho being on the decline, and Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita often being injured, Klopp will need to strengthen in the middle of the park this summer.
As a result, the club's pursuit of Jude Bellingham, one of the hottest — if not the hottest — young players in world football, has been a beacon of hope for the Merseyside giants; something to look forward to amid their disappointing campaign.
However, will the Premier League giants land the highly-rated Dortmund youngster? A recent report from the Athletic, one of the most reliable sources in the game, claims that Liverpool's hopes of signing the Englishman are all but gone.
According to David Ornstein, Klopp's side are "increasingly unlikely" to sign the 19-year-old, with Dortmund's huge asking price and the financial prowess of other suitors being the largest roadblocks. Additionally, with the Reds sitting sixth in the table, seven points adrift of the top four, Salah and Co. could miss out on UEFA Champions League football next season, which would take a toll on their transfer budget.
Instead, Real Madrid and Manchester City, two elite clubs with huge spending power, are said to be the favorites to sign Jude. Los Blancos are the reigning champions of Europe while Guardiola's side could win the treble this season — De Bruyne and Co. do trail Arsenal by eight points, however.
Furthermore, a move to Manchester City would see Bellingham reunite with former Dortmund teammate Erling Haaland, who is currently breaking goalscoring records left, right, and center at the Etihad Stadium.
As for Liverpool, while they have not ended their pursuit of Jude, the club might have to move on to other targets. The Merseyside giants are keeping an eye on Wolves' Matheus Nunes and have been loosely linked with Premier League stars Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice.
