Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has laughed off the chances of his side striking a January deal for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham.
The Reds have long been regarded as one of the favourites to sign the 19-year-old, who is widely expected to end his time at the Westfalenstadion next year.
Real Madrid, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea are also said to be admirers of Bellingham, with Los Blancos seemingly providing the biggest challenge to Liverpool's hopes of a blockbuster transfer.
Nevertheless, Liverpool's relationship with Bellingham's entourage will likely work in their favour as they aim to strike a deal in 2023, but Dortmund could ask for at least £130m to sanction a sale.
Klopp spoke to the media on Friday ahead of their Premier League Boxing Day battle with Aston Villa, during which he was asked about the possibility of signing Bellingham and chuckled when presented with the idea of a mid-season move.
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When questioned on if a move for Bellingham would likely have to wait until the summer, Klopp insisted that he was not the right person to answer the question but insisted that Liverpool would "always" be prepared for January signings.
"I am the wrong person to ask, I don't know. January in our situation is a window where we are always prepared, that's how it is," Klopp told reporters.
"It's clear what ideas we have and how the necessity is from our point of view. All the rest doesn't lie 100% in our hands. We always work with what we have got and that will not change. I don't know about what amount of money you need exactly but I am not against investment to be honest.
"We will see what the future brings. Nobody knows in the moment but I'm convinced it will be good and the future is bright for us. At the moment we have to sort the present and that is what we are working on."
Bellingham left Birmingham City at the age of 16 to sign for Dortmund in the summer of 2020, and he has since registered 19 goals and 21 assists in 112 outings for the Bundesliga club in all competitions.
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The 19-year-old - whose Dortmund contract runs until 2025 - has nine goals and three assists under his belt from 22 games in the 2022-23 season, and he won the DFB-Pokal with the Black and Yellows back in 2021.
A key member of England's World Cup crop, Bellingham produced one goal and one assist in five starts for the Three Lions as they reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by France.
Liverpool decided not to splash the cash on a big-money midfield signing over the summer, but all of Arthur, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner are due to leave in 2023.
As a result, Klopp should give the green light to a marquee acquisition in the engine room, with Benfica and Argentina star Enzo Fernandez understood to be another name on the Reds' shortlist.
Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat has supposedly been earmarked as Liverpool's priority January target, and the Morocco international would reportedly be open to the idea of a switch to Anfield.
Ben Knapton
