Premier League side Liverpool has dropped their interest in Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham following a comparison made by their manager Jurgen Klopp to a “Ferrari.”
Liverpool’s decision to withdraw from the race to sign 19-year-old midfielder Jude Bellingham this summer has drawn criticism from Jamie Carragher, who has questioned the club’s recruitment policy.
Jurgen Klopp’s apparent reluctance to spend big on Bellingham was confirmed on Friday morning, which will undoubtedly disappoint Liverpool
Fans who had hoped to see the young England international join the team following a challenging season.
Klopp’s side is eighth in the table, with most critics accepting they need to bring in a couple of new central midfielders this summer. Yet Bellingham is highly unlikely to move to Merseyside, much to the disappointment of Liverpool legend Carragher.
“Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp built a level of trust with regards to transfers which was the envy of Europe,” wrote Carragher inThe Telegraph. “That trust has gone with news they will not be pursuing Jude Bellingham this summer.
“It must be won back in the next transfer window because Klopp, his recruitment team and owners Fenway Sports Group have been granted a free pass for the dire performances of the last eight months, especially away from home.”
Klopp told reporters on Friday morning: “We cannot have six players in a summer, everyone for £100m… We are not children; when you ask a five-year-old what they want for Christmas and they say a Ferrari, you wouldn’t say, ‘Oh, that’s a good idea’.
“You would say, ‘No, that is too expensive and anyway, you cannot drive it’. If this kid is then unhappy their whole life because he cannot get a Ferrari, it would be a really sad life. You look what you can do, and you work with that.
“What we need and what we want, we try absolutely everything to get it, but there are moments when you have to accept that this or that is not possible for us – you step aside and do different stuff.”
Last season, Liverpool came close to winning a quadruple but have been unable to replicate their form this season, ultimately failing to secure a major trophy despite winning the Community Shield. Furthermore, they are also likely to miss out on Champions League football next season.
Jamie Carragher has expressed his belief that Liverpool’s success in recent years has been due to their recruitment strategy of investing in quality players such as Virgil van Dijk, Alisson, and Darwin Nunez, even if it meant breaking the bank. However, it seems that this approach has changed.
Carragher is staggered at Liverpool’s unwillingness to pay more than £100m for Bellingham. The Reds icon added: “How can the club suddenly baulk at a valuation exceeding £100 million? They know that is the going rate for the best in class.”
In addition to his comments about Liverpool’s recruitment policy, Jamie Carragher has also been critical of his former team for not signing a fit central midfielder last summer despite it being evident that they needed to do so. Although the Reds did eventually secure the loan signing of Arthur Melo, the Brazilian has yet to make an appearance in the Premier League.
“Plenty did [see Liverpool’s problems coming] last summer,” summarised Carragher. “If those in power at Anfield did not, they took their eye off the ball.”