Liverpool pull out of race to sign Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund

£135m-plus cost deemed too much given need to overhaul squad

COSTLY ACQUISITION: England's Jude Bellingham celebrates at the final whistle following the FIFA World Cup Round of Sixteen match at the Al-Bayt Stadium. Pic: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.

Liverpool have decided not to pursue a deal for Jude Bellingham this summer as the cost of signing the England international would restrict the planned overhaul of Jürgen Klopp’s squad.

The 19-year-old has been a leading transfer target for Liverpool for more than a year but the overall price of signing the midfielder alongside the possibility that Borussia Dortmund might refuse to sell, plus the number of positions that need addressing at the end of a disappointing season, has led to the club pulling out of the race.