Bellingham to ‘turn down mega deal’ as Liverpool are given ‘huge boost’ ahead of £130m ‘auction’ | OneFootball

Jude Bellingham is reportedly ‘set to turn down’ a fresh contract offer from Borussia Dortmund with the Liverpool target likely to leave in the summer.

The 19-year-old is being targeted by clubs around Europe ahead of the summer transfer window.

This comes as no surprise as the midfielder has established himself as one of the brightest prospects in world football over the past couple of years.

It is no secret that Liverpool would love to sign him as they have been admirers of him for several years. They need to strengthen in midfield and it would be a major coup if they are able to sign Bellingham.

Dortmund would obviously prefer to keep Bellingham as long as they can but they are often fair with their players when rival clubs express interest.

Head coach Edin Terzic recently admitted that he is keen to keep the club’s young prospects long-term.

“I believe that we need to work on keeping these young guys one year longer,” Terzic told The Athletic.

“In my first season [as interim manager], I was able to put Jadon [Sancho], Jude [Bellingham] and Erling [Haaland] on the pitch, but that was their only year together.

“That was also partly due to COVID-19 and empty stadiums, there were financial considerations.

“But if we can get to the point where it’s two or three years of such a trio, maybe we can break the mould.”

The Bundesliga side are backing Terzic as The Sun are reporting that the club’s hierarchy are ‘prepared to make Bellingham the highest-paid player at the club’. This ‘double-your-money’ new contract would see the centre-midfielder earn around £185,000 a week.

But Liverpool and company have been given a ‘huge transfer boost’ as Bellingham is ‘set to turn down’ this ‘mega deal’.

Dortmund have a ‘sit down planned’ with Bellingham over the next couple of days and the Englishman is ‘expected’ to reject this new contract.

The German outfit accept that Bellingham ‘wants to test himself at a higher level’. The report adds that Dortmund are ‘happy not to stand in his way’ if he ‘insists that he wants to go’.

Along with Liverpool, the report notes that Real Madrid and ‘both Manchester clubs’ are interested in signing Bellingham.

The report predicts that Bellingham ‘can expect to receive offers of around £300,000-a-week’ for wages but it is added that the player has put his ‘progression before finances’.

and The Sun suggest that his stance on a contract extension ‘could kickstart an auction’.

A ‘bidding war’ could see Liverpool being ‘blown out of the water’ so they will hope that their project is enough to tempt Bellingham into a move.