Real Madrid are looking to beat Liverpool to the signing of Jude Bellingham in the same way they signed Aurelien Tchouameni from under their noses, according to reports.
The Reds got most of their summer transfer business done early in the last window with Fabio Carvalho, Darwin Nunez and Calvin Ramsay all joining.
But many fans and pundits thought they needed another midfielder in the market and Liverpool moved on transfer deadline to bring in Arthur Melo from Juventus on loan until the end of the season.
Liverpool were aware they needed to improve their midfield but were prepared to wait to bring the right player to the club.
They reportedly missed out on signing Tchouameni from Monaco with the France international choosing to join Real Madrid in the summer transfer window.
And there were reports over the summer that Liverpool were looking to wait until next year in order to sign top target Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund.
Spanish newspaper Marca (via Sport Witness) now claim that missing out on Tchouameni in the summer ‘hurt’ Klopp more than losing the Champions League final to Los Blancos earlier this year.
And it is understood that Real Madrid tempted Tchouameni to join by pulling at his heart strings and they are ‘trying to repeat the same strategy’ again to land Bellingham this summer.
Liverpool, Real Madrid and Chelsea are understood to be the main frontrunners for the England international’s signature with the La Liga side hoping their history could tip the scales in their favour.
Bellingham starred for England over the international break and scored in Borussia Dortmund’s 4-1 win over Sevilla in the Champions League earlier this week.
And Ferdinand thinks Bellingham has “the full package” to go on and be one of the best midfielders England have ever produced.
“What he’s doing in his position at his age, we haven’t seen,” Ferdinand said.
“The best of our generation, Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes, them guys… Viera, Roy Keane, they weren’t doing this.
“He still has to go on and prove it over a long period of time but they were not doing what he is doing right now, influencing games at this level, captaining a team at this level, he is the full package.
“Mentally, this kid’s a beast, no doubts about him.”
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville was also impressed, he told Sky Sports: “I loved Bellingham in that second half against Germany.
“I thought he was absolutely brilliant. I thought it was amazing really. To do that as a young player; he dragged the team forward.
“He was the one I felt really changed the game for them. He just changed the nature of the game. I thought they were done at one point.”
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