Liverpool appear to be out of the race for Jude Bellingham but Danny Murphy believes the Premier League giants could sign both Declan Rice and Mason Mount for the same fee Dortmund want for the England international.
For Liverpool supporters, reports suggesting that Bellingham will not be ending up at Anfield after all must feel like waking up on December 25th to find that Santa has torn your Christmas letter into a thousand tiny pieces. ‘And a Happy New Year’, and all that.
Bellingham was the dream acquisition for many of an Anfield persuasion. But the sheer cost of the deal – Dortmund want a staggering £130 million – has forced Liverpool to pull out while scouring the market for more affordable alternatives, according to The Telegraph.
But for Murphy, that is no bad thing. Better, the former Anfield favourite says, to kill two birds with one £100 million-plus stone.
Liverpool cannot afford Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham
“(Signing Bellingham) would seem illogical really. It’s not how they tend to do things really; go out and buy a superstar for over £100 million,” Murphy tells talkSPORT (12 April, 11am).
The big-money signings of Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk in 2018, Murphy points out, were financed by Philippe Coutinho’s £142 million sale to Barcelona.
This summer, Liverpool do not have a single player capable of commanding such a fee. The likes of Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will all depart for nothing.
“They’ve got to improve and got to try and bring in better than they’ve got,” Murphy adds.
“I would prefer to see two or three come in for the price of one, if the ‘one’ is going to cost £120 – £130 million. There are lots of terrific players. And if your recruitment is good – if you know what you need and want – you can go and get it.
“If you’re talking £130 million, could you get Mason Mount and Declan Rice for that? Two for the price of one? I think you’d get them two for £100 – £120 million.
“I’m not saying Rice or Mount is better than Bellingham. But you’ve got two players who play different roles, and you’ve spent the same money.”
Mount looks likely to leave Chelsea with talks over a new deal stalling. Fellow England international Rice, meanwhile, has made no secret of his desire to test himself at a higher level, though missing out on a Champions League spot could put pay to Liverpool’s chances.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
