Liverpool fans quickly moved on from the disappointment of seeing Jude Bellingham reject them for Real Madrid last summer.
The Reds had been involved in a long pursuit of the then Borussia Dortmund midfielder. But having seen him opt to move to Spain, they moved swiftly to secure other targets.
Those other targets have largely been a roaring success at Anfield, with Alexis Mac Allister in particular a real standout. In the end, Liverpool’s decision to go for four new signings instead of one has worked out well.
Still, Bellingham has pretty much been a revelation in Madrid. There’s little question that he would have helped to take Liverpool up another gear.
With the 20-year-old back in England today to take on Manchester City in the Champions League, he was always likely to be asked about his decision to turn down a Premier League move last year. And although he doesn’t mention Liverpool specifically, Bellingham’s answer still hurts.
What has Jude Bellingham said now
It’s amazing to think how quickly Liverpool’s dreams of signing Bellingham were ended. Having chased him for so long and felt close to convincing him that playing under Jurgen Klopp was his best bet, it was suddenly all over.
At the time, Bellingham suggested that the Champions League final in 2022, which Liverpool lost to Real, played a part in his decision to choose the Bernabeu.
And his latest quotes on his Dortmund exit follow a similar these. The comments come from The Times, who also see fit to include in their piece that Liverpool ‘gave up’ their chase of the England international exactly a year ago, in April 2023.
Man City reportedly ended their hopes of signing Bellingham a month later. And with City up next for Madrid, it’s they who Bellingham is questioned about ahead of the game.
“I had good chats with [other] clubs, including Dortmund,” he said. “My family were great in helping me chew up that information because it’s difficult while you are still in the season to take in the information and process it and still have to play.
“I had conversations with other teams but when Madrid came in it was a no-brainer really because of the size of the club, the project, the plan going forward, the chance to play with such amazing players. I just jumped at it. That’s why I made my decision.”
Will Liverpool ever sign Jude Bellingham
Bellingham truly has been excellent for Madrid. After 34 games for his new club, the midfielder has scored 20 goals.
Los Blancos are on course for the La Liga title and have a decent chance of sneaking through today’s Champions League tie with City. It’s hard to think he’ll be regretting his choices at all.
Nevertheless, as an Englishman, you’d imagine that Bellingham would want to sample the Premier League at some stage. In our opinion, the former Birmingham City youngster can not be considered a truly great English player until he has.
Still only 20, he’s got years to do that. And when he finally makes the call to move back home, Liverpool should be in the mix.