Jude Bellingham cited as Liverpool backed to complete 'last-gasp' signing- pundit
Alan Hutton would be "very surprised" if Liverpool "splashed the cash" on an expensive player before the end of the transfer window on Thursday (1 September).
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Tottenham and Aston Villa right-back said the Reds could sign someone at the last minute to cover for potential injuries.
On Saturday (27 August), sources told this site that Liverpool are making progress on landing Bellingham following extensive behind-the-scenes talks, although he would not join before January at the earliest.
As quoted by the Daily Mail (26 August), Jurgen Klopp admitted the club were looking to bring in a midfielder despite insisting earlier in the window that they did not need to add more signings.
Klopp is currently without four of his midfield players due to injury.
Thiago Alcantara, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and Curtis Jones are all out of the squad at the moment.
Hutton said it would be unusual for the Anfield club to sign a player so late in the window.
"Liverpool are a team who, I think, set their targets early on," he told Football Insider.
"They’ve got target A and that’s the one they go for. So I’d be very surprised if he picked someone up on the last day of the window. They never really worked that way.
"They’re going to try and go for Jude Bellingham, whether that be January or next year, we’ll have to wait and see if that happens. It will be huge if they do.
"They normally have long-term targets and they go and get them. If they bring someone in at this moment in time I think it will be last gasp just in case they get injuries. I’d be very surprised if they splashed the cash to get the big hitter they normally do."