Real Madrid are reportedly confident that Liverpool will soon give up their efforts to sign Jude Bellingham, with the Reds seemingly switching their focus to Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez.
According to Marca, Los Blancos believe that their stance on signing Bellingham has increased this week as Liverpool now look set to give up on their pursuit of the England international, who is expected to leave Borussia Dortmund in 2023.
Reports have intensified in recent days on Liverpool’s interest in Fernandez, with O Jogo recently claiming that the Anfield side will match any offers made by rivals clubs for the Argentina international in the January transfer window.
Central midfield is a position Liverpool are eager to add to in the coming weeks, and it appears that Fernandez has now been made Jurgen Klopp’s main target in large part to how cheap the Benfica star will be compared to Bellingham.
According to Sport, Dortmund want as much as €150m (£130m) for Bellingham in the summer, and with Fernandez’s release clause for Benfica currently sitting at €120m (£103m), it makes sense why Liverpool have changed tact this week.
Indeed, these series of updates mean that Real Madrid are well in the driving seat to sign Bellingham, with Carlo Ancelotti eager to add the 19-year-old English midfielder to the ranks of Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga.
As for Liverpool, the Reds are playing a risky game in dropping their interest in Bellingham to sign Fernandez, with the Dortmund superstar who has long-been linked with Liverpool and who would have been the perfect midfield option to act as long-term replacement for the likes of James Milner and Jordan Henderson.
Liverpool could regret giving Real Madrid free run to sign Bellingham
If there was one player fans and pundits thought Liverpool were going to sign in the summer, it’s Bellingham. Which is why it has come to the surprise of many that the Reds are now seemingly ready to give up on the Dortmund star to instead move for Fernandez, essentially giving Madrid the keys to win the race for the England maestro.
Whilst Fernandez is a fantastic midfielder and would be an exceptional addition to Liverpool’s squad, there’s no denying that supporters were banking on Bellingham arriving to Anfield in the summer. And this latest update seems to confirm that the Reds have conceded for the teenager.
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