€200m Liverpool plan for Jude Bellingham could fall apart because of Xabi Alonso – report | OneFootball

Liverpool are planning to pay €200million (£173.3m, $232m) to Real Madrid to bring Jude Bellingham to Anfield in 2026, according to an outrageous Spanish report, which has also revealed how the potential appointment of Xabi Alonso at Anfield could scupper a deal.

Bellingham has long been linked with Liverpool, whose admiration for the England international midfielder remains. Liverpool wanted to sign Bellingham back in 2022 when he was still at Borussia Dortmund, while a Spanish report on December 1 claimed that the defending Premier League champions sense ‘an opportunity to try to lure’ the midfielder away from Real Madrid because he did not fit in Xabi Alonso’s system.

Alonso is no longer in charge of Madrid, with Alvaro Arbeloa replacing the former Liverpool midfielder at Estadio Bernabeu as the manager of Los Blancos.

That has not dampened Liverpool’s desire to do a deal for Bellingham, with E-Noticies reporting that the Reds are keen on a 2026 transfer for the 22-year-old midfielder.

The Catalan media outlet, which is often speculative, has claimed that Liverpool are ready to pay €200m (£173.3m, $232m) to Real Madrid for Bellingham.

Liverpool reportedly view Bellingham ‘as a structural solution’ and see the Englishman as a player ‘who can order, run and decide’.

While Madrid do not want to sell any of their major stars, including Bellingham, such a sum could be very tempting.

However, according to the report, should Alonso become the Liverpool manager in 2026, then the ‘signing of Jude Bellingham would automatically be ruled out’.

According to E-Noticies, the reason is that Bellingham struggled to fit into Alonso’s system at Madrid.

‘It would be strange’ for Alonso ‘to request’ a deal for Bellingham because the Englishman ‘failed’ in his system at Estadio Bernabeu, according to the report.

While Arne Slot is not in immediate danger of losing his managerial job at Liverpool, we understand that Alonso is admired by the club.

TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, reported on January 12 that Liverpool remain admirers of Alonso, having tried to hire him when Jurgen Klopp stepped down as the manager.

Should Liverpool not get results under Slot, then the Reds could make contact with the former Madrid midfielder.

Liverpool can forget about signing Jude Bellingham

Bellingham was stunning in his first season at Real Madrid, with his 23 goals and 13 assists in 42 appearances helping Los Blancos win LaLiga and the Champions League in the 2023/24 campaign.

Then Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti played Bellingham closer to the opposition’s goal and gave him the licence to drive into the penalty box.

Under Alonso this season, Bellingham was not given that role, but the midfielder was far from his best in the 2024/25 campaign either.

However, that does not mean that Madrid will sell Bellingham to Liverpool, even for €200million (£173.3m, $232m).

While that is a lot of money, Madrid president Florentino Perez will be fully aware of the potential that Bellingham has.

Let us not forget that Bellingham is only 22 years of age. Liverpool, for now, can forget about a deal for the English superstar.

Latest Liverpool and Real Madrid news

Meanwhile, the two reasons why Liverpool have failed to beat Manchester City to the signing of Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace have been revealed.

Liverpool will be hugely disappointed to learn that Manchester United are ‘confident’ of making a signing that the defending Premier League champions would love to get.

Sources have told our transfer insider, Graeme Bailey, the real reason why Real Madrid want to hire former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp as their boss.