Journalist Guillem Balague believes Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham could cost as much as £180m next summer.

The former Sky Sports pundit, who now works as a freelancer, claims that Real Madrid (rather than Liverpool) are favourites to sign the England international, and the La Liga champions are also prepared to pay his sky-high asking price:

“He is ready for Real Madrid and Real Madrid are ready for him. The price is about £140 million. Plus £40 million on certain bonuses. Real Madrid are saying ‘yeah, no problem’.”

The figure that Balague is quoting is much higher than other sources. There have been claims that Dortmund may demand around €150m, which is £133m, but that will probably still be seen as too steep a price for most teams.

In addition to the Reds and Real, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United are also said to be keen on recruiting Bellingham, so the Merseysiders know they face a massive challenge to secure the teenager’s signature already, even without considering the cost of the transfer.

A lot may depend on whether Jurgen Klopp’s side do finish in the Champions League places. After the defeat to Brentford, they now find themselves seven points off the top four with 19 games remaining.