LIVERPOOL have ended their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham, according to reports.
The England international has been tipped to make a summer move amid interest from several Premier League teams.
It is believed Dortmund are open to offers for the midfielder as this summer will be their last opportunity to cash in big.
But Liverpool are no longer in the running to sign Bellingham, according to The Times.
The Reds are plotting a midfield rebuild this summer but are not keen on spending such a big sum on one player, with Dortmund believed to have set an asking price of £130million for Bellingham.
They also reportely want to avoid being drawn into a long drawn-out saga, with Dortmund happy to play hardball.
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Klopp is a big fan of Bellingham but Liverpool could turn to cheaper targets such as Mason Mount and Youri Tielemans, who is available on a free.
That is a bonus for the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea, both of whom hold a long-term interest in the teenager.
Real Madrid are also said to be interested in Bellingham but are unwilling to match Dortmund’s hefty asking price.
That could prompt Paris Saint-Germain to make a move, with the 19-year-old said to be a “strong target”.
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Dortmund are hoping to keep hold of Bellingham for one more season.
The club are planning to offer him a new contract that would see his salary increase by 150 per cent up to £13million for the year.
The outlet also claims that his contract would include a release clause of £131m.
This would allow Bellingham to leave the club to potential buyers while also guaranteeing the Bundesliga side a large transfer fee.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
