02 Dec 2022 02:16:21
Liverpool have received a huge boost in their quest to sign Jude Bellingham after Borussia Dortmund's managing director Carsten Cramer admitted the Reds would be his 'preferred' destination should the England international leave the club. just a rumour, and I don't usually pay any heed to rumours, but I felt a slight movement when reading this one.

1.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 05:36:29
Ok - my turn for the standard response - give the pessimists a bit of a lie-in this morning ……. There’s no way Jude is coming to Liverpool and anyway, he isn’t any good.

2.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 07:22:13
If you "felt a slight movement" then maybe it's a good idea to not stray too far from a toilet for the next few hours?

3.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 08:55:08
He also said he wouldn’t be giving us any presents so the price would he extortionately high.
(Or reassuringly expensive, for the Stella Artois drinkers out there) . Given our sell to buy/ hand to mouth model, who are we going to sell to fund this? As FSG aren’t going to.

4.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 09:22:25
They'll pay it for him Victor, ticks every box and will be looked on as a bargain in a couple of years. They have got the club into a position where we can do a deal like this, enjoy it.

5.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 09:45:03
I’d imagine Dortmund will negotiate with whoever meets their asking price. If we are one of those then we’ll be at the table. If we don’t meet the price then I can’t imagine Dortmund losing millions of pounds because they prefer us.

6.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 09:50:21
JK23 we'll never get him if it comes straight down to money. Obviously we'll have to offer a huge sum too but we only get him if we are his preferred choice and he tells Dortmund that.

7.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 09:56:11
The wages aren’t really an issue, due to a number of well paid players leaving. The transfer fee while very significant will prove to be tremendous value. FSG are not shy of spending big on the right player. If Klopp wants him, and the lad has a preference for LFC and then he goes to a rival club we would be bang in trouble. I think Bellingham will sign.

8.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 10:12:00
Jude I meant we’d have to meet the asking price first. I’m not sure Dortmund would be willing to lose money just on Jude’s preference.

Obviously if we meet the asking price then Jude’s preference then comes into play regardless of if we can’t match others wages or signing on fees.

9.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 11:04:50
We need Senegal to do us a favour and destroy us in the last 16. Cheeky January bid. signed. on the way to No 7. BOOM.

10.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 11:24:03
Yeh but tbe next big english or any countrys hope mightn't be as quick to sign on at Dortmund if they see the likes of Bellingham being denied his dream move. They are a selling club and attracting the best kids is a huge part of their philosophy.

11.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 11:34:10
Jude could be true. But if he goes to Real or City. It’s hardly not a dream move for him also.

12.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 12:11:45
True, but there not us either are they?. Jurgen'll get it over the line, biggest draw in football.

13.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 12:29:42
West Derby Wanderer, I feel like you're saying Jude 'isn't any good', in the worry he signs for a rival because there is no way you can watch that 19 year old kid and believe he's no good. Not worth £100m+ or not as good as the hype, ok its an opinion but 'isn't any good'? that's absolute nonsense mate.

{Ed001's Note - he was clearly joking.}

14.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 12:29:49
Stopped reading after someone said he isn't very good ha, FSG need to hurry up and sort their S out.

15.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 12:31:29
I hope so mate. Would be a great signing for us.

16.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 12:38:53
Oh, was he Ed001. I haven't seen too many of his posts to sense it, apologies.

17.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 12:54:39
We don’t sell to buy and then play with 11 players in the squad all season. This is something VVVV can’t get through his/ her/ their head.

18.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 15:10:58
I think there was money there last summer for a midfielder but Klopp kept banging on that we didn’t need anyone. Then when he realised he was completely wrong he panicked and bought a player that had no chance to be a regular in the first team. Basically we just tipped £4m down the drain.

19.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 15:37:03
That literally goes over your head Faith. It isn’t a one in one out policy, it is sell to buy, a completely different concept. Selling players to bring in new ones.

We literally operate on a hand to mouth/ sell to buy policy. We have done for years. It is now unsustainable as we’ve little in the way of valuable saleable assets who would be able to leave without making an immense impact on the starting 11. And with an ageing and ailing side it’s hard to see how the funds are going to be generated in our current model to carry out the much needed overhaul to the squad to challenge for the next decade, much less spunk a shed load of money that we don’t have on one vanity signing.

We sold Davies, Williams, Minamino and Mane for a total of just over £70m to fund the summer spending. So, the question remains, who are we selling to fund Bellingham? Even if we sell fringe players it wouldn’t raise enough to buy one of Bellingham’s legs.

Owners aren’t dipping in their pockets and there’s a dearth of benevolent multi billionaires around at the moment looking to buy us.

20.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 18:59:44
@Gunn, I’d love him to sign for us - he’s already very good and, at 19, is nowhere near the finished product. Plus of course it would be genuinely brilliant to hear Anfield belting out ‘Hey Jude’.

21.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 19:26:46
Selling to buy is the basic concept of FFP. The owners have put in money to the extent possible. If Jude does not join its because he prefers another club. Saying we can't afford him when you no idea of the financial situation in summer 2023 is made up nonsense. Should get out more.

22.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 20:11:46
We know he prefers LFC it’s not in doubt. If he doesn’t sign this time it most definitely is the owners fault.

23.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 20:13:23
No it goes over your head because our squad has been bloated for years now. As much as you like to hate all of our players, the end of the day is they are here and we can’t just keep adding to the squad wi hour moving others on. Even city don’t bhuold their squad your way.

24.) 02 Dec 2022
02 Dec 2022 23:08:15
@Markp08 I think your opinions are incorrect with respect to the last transfer window and it being the owner’s fault if Bellingham doesn’t sign for Liverpool.

It seems Liverpool did have two midfielders that they were interested in - Tchouameni and Bellingham. It seems very likely that we agreed to meet Tchouameni’s (or his agent’s) terms for signing but the player himself wanted to go to Real Madrid as soon as they made contact.

Dortmund didn’t want to sell Bellingham in the window.

Saying Klopp “kept banging on about we didn’t need anyone” is naive in the extreme. Would you expect him to name his targets in a public discussion / forum? If he did do you not think it might have an effect n their price valuation placed on them by their clubs?

The loaning of Melo was forced on us by the injuries to about 4 or 5 midfielders towards the end of pre-season not because we didn’t sign either of the two targets. I’d also say that you are either a bit rash or perhaps clairvoyant with your assessment of The player as he has only played 12 minutes of football (minutely scrutinised they have been by the FIFA accredited coaches that frequent this site) and, as he is here for the season and with the ridiculous number of games coming up, he might yet prove to be a useful signing.

With respect to Bellingham, it seems the lad would like to play for Liverpool. In days gone by that might have been enough, and in some rare cases it still is (see Tchouameni and Real Madrid) . However these days, when push comes to shove, money talks and it wouldn’t be anybody’s fault at the club if someone came in with a record breaking offer to sign the lad. It’s also worth saying that, even though the lad might want to come to Liverpool, there is no guarantee that he might remain (or even be) our top target. Personally I think he is but it’s not something that I have any facts for - it’s just an opinion.

25.) 03 Dec 2022
03 Dec 2022 01:04:16
The loaning of Melo was an appallingly bad decision forced because of a failure to find a suitable alternative to Tchouameni, which is ridiculous as there are multiple better and more robust midfielders than Arthur out there. As it is Arthur has played more than 12 minutes, as he was bullied by Rochdale. They say him for what me is, weak, slow and not up to playing English football. Personally I would send him back to Juve asap.

26.) 03 Dec 2022
03 Dec 2022 07:33:27
Seems like it’s just going to be my day to disagree with people.

@VVVV, your opinion seems to me to be incorrect too. Tchouameni signed for Real Madrid fairly early in the window and as it was obvious that Dortmund were holding onto Jude (I think the rumour was that when asked if he was available they said ‘ Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah not Jude), Norbert made it clear that his plan was to go with what we had.

As we went through the pre-season we lost a number of midfielders to injury, Naby with his heart issue, Ox with the regulation Hammy, Hendo, Thiago and Jones with a variety of injuries and Fabs form was way off the pace. We signed Arthur as an emergency signing to provide cover when he got his fitness up to scratch. His loan signing was a stop gap to get us through to the World Cup break.

Of course he got injured too and he hasn’t as yet played a PL game which makes it quite interesting that you say he is not up to the standard of the PL.

Anyway, I have a sneaking feeling that he might prove useful before the end of the season. Of course, it is just my opinion and - like your’s - is pure speculation as neither of us know how he is rated by the manager and the coaching staff, who are the ones who (90% of the time) thankfully seem to come up with the correct answer. Just saying.

27.) 03 Dec 2022
03 Dec 2022 07:35:52
Is it that Inconceivable by the fans that we never just bought for the sake of buying to make sure we had enough pennies for our top target (Bellingham)

Ibb be think the saying goes

Short term pain
Long term gain

It will be seen as a master stroke drone the footballing world if we pull it off and if not
We will have maybe shot our self in the foot . But I think the list of alternatives the club has means it wouldn’t be the end of the world but ultimately very disappointing . Let’s enjoy this season and see where we can finish and then let’s see what the summer brings.

28.) 03 Dec 2022
03 Dec 2022 09:39:34
Dhfc, I agree, the summer was a strange window in some ways, due to the BS WC, usually the window comes after the WC has ended.

What is the point of buying a C Mid if it’s not the type/ caliber we need or want at that time,

I must say tho, there must/ appears immense confidence in JB joining us, I do wonder if there’s a possibility of it happening in January. alas time will tell with that.

29.) 04 Dec 2022
04 Dec 2022 00:21:20
I honestly believe Bellingham is lined up and Michael Edwards sorted it before he left. A parting gift you could say.
Bellingham and Dortmund agreed he’d stay for one more season before leaving for Liverpool.
That’s why we didn’t sign a midfield player in the summer until Melo who is a stopgap because of the raft of injuries we had early season.
I’m not ITK and it pure speculation on my part but I’ve thought it since the summer and everything that’s happened since then (Jude saying Gerrard’s his idol and him being very friendly with Trent) has only strengthened that belief.

{Ed002's Note - Whilst Liverpool may be able to sign Bellingham there is no agreement with Dortmund and two other sides have already held discussions.}

30.) 04 Dec 2022
04 Dec 2022 17:12:57
Is it Chelsea and Madrid Ed?

{Ed002's Note - No, Madrid see him as too expensive without including a player or two in any deal.

31.) 05 Dec 2022
05 Dec 2022 13:37:41
I’m sure lots of teams will hold discussions Ed2 but my belief is that he has his heart set on Liverpool and we have agreed to sign him.
There might not be anything officially agreed but I truly believe this has been at least verbally agreed and will happen in the summer.

{Ed002's Note - So tapping up again? Brilliant.}

32.) 05 Dec 2022
05 Dec 2022 23:01:46
Would it be tapping up if he’s had a word with Dortmund and told them his plans and they have agreed to let him go in the summer? His agent has sounded us out and we’ve said we will finance the deal in the summer?
Seems like that’s the way a lot of deals would happen is it not?
I think it’s very naive to think that players don’t sound out clubs that they would like to join and even agree to make the move without an official agreement being in place. They are human beings with wants and desires not robots programmed to a set way of acting.

{Ed002's Note - If the club have approached the player directly it is tapping up. Everyone is sick of Liverpool illegally approaching players and one complain from the summer is still with UEFA for consideration. The approach to be taken is as the clubs who approached Dortmund to discuss him. That is what Liverpool need to do.}