Why did Liverpool drop out of the race to sign Jude Bellingham? Journalist reveals reason for the PL club's decision

Liverpool were heavily linked with a move for Jude Bellingham in the recently concluded summer transfer window.

Bellingham ultimately moved to Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund for an initial fee of £88.5 million, penning a six-year deal. Los Blancos' path to signing the midfielder was made easy after the Reds reportedly chose to drop out of the race before his future at Dortmund was finalized.

Bellingham developed a close friendship with Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold off the field while on England duty, strengthening Liverpool fans' hopes of their team signing the 20-year-old. But it wasn't meant to be.

According to James Pearce (h/t @AnfieldAgenda on X), Liverpool didn't want to commit a large amount of money in one deal when they were gunning to sign two elite midfielders. Bellingham's fee at Real Madrid could surpass £115 million if all add-ons are met (h/t Sky Sports).

The Reds ended the summer transfer window with the signings of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai for a combined £95 million fee. They curiously made a failed £110 million bid for Moises Caicedo, who went on to join Chelsea after rejecting a move to Anfield.

It showed they had money to spend even after the arrival of Mac Allister and Szoboszlai. But by then, they were boosted by the sales of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, who fetched the Reds a combined £52 million in transfer fees.

Jurgen Klopp ultimately ended up signing 30-year-old Japanese defensive midfielder Wataru Endo from VfB Stuttgart for £16.2 million (h/t BBC). They also signed Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich on deadline day for £34.3 million.

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Jude Bellingham says Real Madrid's UCL final win over Liverpool was big factor in summer transfer

Real Madrid won their 14th UEFA Champions League trophy after beating Liverpool 1-0 in the final in May 2022.

In the following season, they knocked the Reds out of the competition in the Round of 16 by a 6-2 aggregate scoreline. At the end of the campaign, Los Blancos secured the signing of Jude Bellingham to bolster an already world-class midfield.

Speaking about the role of the final in Paris, where Vinicius Junior scored the only goal of the game, Bellingham told reporters in June (h/t Express):

"I was at the final when Madrid beat Liverpool. That was a huge factor in my decision to join Real. I'm joining the greatest club in the world, and it's not about money."

Bellingham is apparently earning €20 million per season (£17.17 million) in wages. He has gotten off to a sensational start this season, scoring five goals and providing an assist in four La Liga games.