---
title: "Liverpool: Alex McLeish makes Jude Bellingham claim"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/liverpool-jude-bellingham-transfer-gossip-news-4/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Daniel Clubbe"
section: "Liverpool News"
published: "2022-07-04T19:15:51Z"
modified: "2022-07-04T19:15:51Z"
---

# Liverpool: Alex McLeish makes Jude Bellingham claim

**Former [Premier League](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premier-league-news/) manager Alex McLeish has insisted that the ‘smart money’ is on Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham joining [Liverpool](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/liverpool-fc-news/).**

### The lowdown: Major target

The 19-year-old has quickly become among the hottest properties in European football owing to [two sensational campaigns](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/jude-bellingham/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/581678) in the Bundesliga.

The [former Birmingham City](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/jude-bellingham/leistungsdatenverein/spieler/581678) academy prospect has already established himself as a [key figure](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/jude-bellingham/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/581678/plus/0/verein/16) in Edin Terzic’s side, as well as [for England](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/jude-bellingham/nationalmannschaft/spieler/581678/verein_id/3299) under Gareth Southgate ahead of the World Cup later this year.

Despite the best efforts of Dortmund attempting to stave off suitors by slapping an eye-watering [£103m price tag](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-10964835/Borussia-Dortmund-slap-103m-price-tag-Jude-Bellingham-amid-midfielder-2023.html) on their prized asset, there is one pundit who can only see one outcome when it comes to the prodigiously talented Englishman’s future…

### The latest: ‘Smart money is on Liverpool’

Speaking to [Football Insider](https://www.footballinsider247.com/expert-smart-money-is-on-liverpool-to-sign-jude-bellingham-after-103m-update/), former Aston Villa manager and [Sky Sports pundit](https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/12644354/alex-mcleish-andy-goram-a-wonderful-character) McLeish has claimed that the Reds are the clear favourites to sign Bellingham.

He said: “We are speculating on Bellingham, the smart money is on Liverpool. The thing is, we will just see on the day whether it is Bellingham who arrives on the day. That’s how they operate.

“The way Liverpool do their business, they don’t \[go\] public about anything. That’s the way transfers should be done. We always tried to do that.”

\[freshpress-quiz id=”398089″\]

### The verdict: Here’s hoping

Landing a player of Bellingham’s already [proven quality](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/who-is-jude-bellingham-borussia-dortmund-birmingham-sancho-england-gerrard-12101), and indeed his sky-high potential, would truly be the icing on the cake for the Reds this summer.

They have already [signed](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-liverpool/alletransfers/verein/31) Darwin Nunez from Benfica and exciting youngster Fabio Carvalho from Fulham, reiterating just how much the club has been transformed under the watchful eye of Jurgen Klopp.

\[freshpress-poll id=”378419″\]

In previous times, Liverpool have [needed to sell](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11669/11199427/how-liverpool-reinvested-the-money-from-luis-suarezs-barcelona-sale) their marquee players such as Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez in order to further bolster their ranks with big-money additions. However, tying down Mohamed Salah to a new deal and potentially landing Bellingham – who has been hailed as [‘phenomenal’](https://talksport.com/football/889289/gareth-southgate-jude-bellingham-euro-2020-england-squad/) by Southgate – in the same summer would be a significant statement of intent from FSG.

Although at present it seems Dortmund are unwilling to sell Bellingham, having already lost Erling Haaland this summer, Liverpool have been [masters of recruitment](https://www.footballtransfers.com/en/transfer-news/uk-premier-league/2021/08/who-is-michael-edwards-sporting-director-who-could-leave-liverpool) for some time now. If Julian Ward and the Anfield powerbrokers were to up the ante in their pursuit of the [15-cap](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/jude-bellingham/nationalmannschaft/spieler/581678/verein_id/3299) England ace, then it could be interesting to see whether the Bundesliga club’s steadfast approach is maintained.