Liverpool are 'hopeful' in the transfer of Jude Bellingham trying to follow Man City's move.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has already completed three summer signings and appears to be nearing completion in the current window, with one eye already on their plans for 2023.
Liverpool believe that signing Kalvin Phillips from Manchester City will put them in pole position to sign Jude Bellingham next summer.
Jurgen Klopp appears to have completed his summer of incoming business, having already sanctioned moves for Fabio Carvalho, Calvin Ramsay, and Darwin Nunez. A new striker was always going to be at the top of Liverpool's summer wishlist, especially after Sadio Mane expressed his desire to leave.
And the deal for Nunez, which could become a club record, was completed before Mane's move to Bayern Munich, ensuring the smoothest possible transition. That could be the end of new signings as Klopp's men look to go one better in the race for Premier League and Champions League glory.
However, attention is already turning to the summer window in 2023, when Bellingham is expected to play a prominent role. The Liverpool manager is looking to expand his midfield options, and the Borussia Dortmund star fits the bill perfectly.
Earlier this month, Mirror Football reported that Klopp was willing to wait to sign the 18-year-old, who has had a meteoric rise since making his Birmingham City debut less than three years ago.
Dortmund have already stated that they have no intention of selling the England international this summer, after allowing his teammate Erling Haaland to leave for Premier League champions Manchester City. However, it is expected that the Germans will be more open to potential bids next summer, as has been the case with players such as Haaland and Jadon Sancho in the past.
City are also said to be keeping an eye on Bellingham's situation, but Anfield bosses are confident they will win the race, according to the Sun. Leeds captain Phillips is on the verge of joining Manchester City after the Whites accepted a £45 million bid.
He now appears set to compete with Rodri for a starting spot in Pep Guardiola's starting XI, which means Bellingham may have to fight for regular football, which should be easier to come by on Merseyside.
Bellingham, who left the Blues in the summer of 2020, has refused to comment on the rumors, insisting that he is only concerned with his own development as a player. He told The New York Times: "You sort of make it up as you go. I suppose I have control over my own destiny and development if I put in the effort."
Birmingham famously retired Bellingham's No.22 shirt in honor of the departing academy graduate, surprising the midfielder. But he insists that the move is only a stopgap, and that the only certainty in his future is a return to St Andrew's before retiring from the game.
"To be honest, based on my performances on the field, I probably don't deserve it," he added. "I thought they were good, but the level required to retire your shirt is very high."
"As I always say, it's not retired; it's just waiting for me to return and hopefully take them to the Premier League."
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