Journalist claims Liverpool target Bellingham may not be sold

European football expert Kevin Hatchard has insisted on TalkSport that Liverpool transfer target Jude Bellingham could yet stay at Borussia Dortmund this summer.

The Lowdown: Dortmund haven’t given up hope on Bellingham’s future

Liverpool have long been linked with a move for Bellingham, with the young English midfielder taking Europe by storm this season with 10 goals and six assists to his name, as well as becoming the club’s vice-captain.

However, David Ornstein delivered a brutal transfer blow to Liverpool fans and Jurgen Klopp earlier this week as he revealed that the Reds were no longer favourites to sign the midfielder due to the finances likely to be involved.

While some will have presumed that Bellingham was guaranteed to leave Dortmund this summer, the fact that he doesn’t have a release clause in his contract – as Erling Haaland did – puts Dortmund in total control of his future and the transfer fee they can command.

The Latest: Bellingham may yet not move to the Premier League

Hatchard believes Dortmund are still confident of handing Bellingham a new contract to keep him beyond the summer, which could be good news for Liverpool if they don’t have the finances to fund a move at the moment.

He said: “When [Bellingham] made the move to Dortmund they thought very, very carefully; there were lots of clubs who wanted to sign him at the time.

“Even though it’s probably the least likely scenario, I still feel like he could stay in Germany another year because he’s captained the club this season on several occasions, we don’t know if Mats Hummels and Marco Reus are going to stay because both of their contracts expire in the summer.

“So Dortmund could use some of that finance to make him the highest-paid player at the club, so it’s all ifs, buts and maybes at the moment, but when Sebastian Kehl, the sporting director, was asked about this on German television a couple of weeks ago, and they said, ‘are you going to try and extend his contract?,’ he said, ‘absolutely, we will sit down with him and we will try.'”

The Verdict: Liverpool may be forced to play the long game

If Bellingham was to sign a new contract at Dortmund, it may well include a release clause that ensures he has a way out of the club in the summer of 2024 – if he so wished to leave – which could play into Liverpool’s hands.

This is because as things stand, there could be a bidding war between the likes of Manchester City and Real Madrid for the midfielder this summer, and Liverpool are unlikely to be able to match the financial clout both of those sides possess.

Liverpool could instead target someone such as Mason Mount this summer, allowing him to be their diamond in midfield before trying to land Bellingham and partner the England teammates together as they seek to dominate the Premier League again in 12 months’ time.