Liverpool must bankroll a move to sign Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund this summer if they want to keep Jurgen Klopp at the club, according to talkSPORT pundit Darren Bent.

The former striker believes that Bellingham is the pivotal signing to rebuild the Reds, and if Klopp doesn’t get his way, it could spell trouble:

“He [Bellingham] can have the pick of where he wants to go. I would love to see him at Arsenal, of course. If not Arsenal, then Real Madrid… But I think, Liverpool are the team that needs him the most. He is the one. That could be the one that breaks it all apart (for Klopp).”

“If he goes to the board, ‘Bellingham wants to come to us, but we need £120 million’. If Liverpool say ‘no’ and don’t back him, then there is going to be a big problem. Klopp will be saying ‘what am I doing here? We have one of the best talents in Europe, if not the best, who wants to come to our football club. We need to make this happen’.”

It’s clear that Liverpool have put a ton of work into persuading Bellingham into moving to Anfield, and they are still believed to be among the frontrunners for the teenager despite how poorly they are performing in the Premier League.

If, as Bent says, they have won over the player, then it will be down to the Merseyside club’s owner, FSG, to come up with the funds. £120m is likely to be the bare minimum required to secure the midfielder‘s signature. It remains to be seen whether they will sanction paying a club record fee.