Wayne Veysey

Mon 23 January 2023 10:49, UK

Liverpool and Man City target Jude Bellingham has no intention of signing a new Borussia Dortmund contract, sources have told Football Insider.

The German giants are trying to tie down the prize asset to a new and improved deal to fend off the elite clubs trying to sign him, with an offer readied during new talks this week.

But Bellingham, 19, is not planning not extending his Dortmund stay as he gears up for a huge-money summer transfer.

That will be a “huge” boost to his suitors, sources explain, both in the Premier League and on the Continent.

Liverpool and City are pushing hard to lure the England sensation, while he is also a firm target of Real Madrid.

They are likely to have to spend £120million-plus to sign Bellingham this summer, more than four times what Dortmund paid in 2020 when he was 16.

Bellingham is under contract at the Bundesliga club until the summer of 2025.

He is Liverpool’s top midfield target this summer, but is also wanted by City as they look to reunite him with star striker and former colleague Erling Haaland.

Financial factors will play a key role in Bellingham’s final destination, as well as the desire of the player himself.

Liverpool had been close to securing an agreement with the England star in the summer and one well-placed source has told Football Insider that the “deal was virtually done” at one stage.

But a full agreement could not be secured at the time, even though Bellingham and his father Mark had been convinced at the time that a move to Merseyside was the ideal next step in his career.

In the end, the midfielder ended up staying at Borussia Dortmund and he has taken his performances to a new level this season for club and country.

In other news, Kieran Maguire: Liverpool could now cash in as £5bn Apple deal on the cards.