Former Premier League manager Harry Redknapp has “heard” who Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham “wants” to join next amid interest from Liverpool.

The 19-year-old signed for Dortmund in 2020 from Birmingham City after the Bundesliga outfit beat Man Utd in the race to sign him for around £25m.

Since then, Bellingham has established himself as one of the best young midfielders in the world. He enhanced his reputation further at last year’s World Cup as he shone for England.

Liverpool have been consistently linked with Bellingham over the past couple of years. But his performances this season have seen his valuation skyrocket to around £130m.

This has led to the Premier League club dropping out of the race for the midfielder, who is now out of their price range.

Liverpool are instead planning to use their budget to sign two or three midfielders this summer. Chelsea’s Mason Mount, Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister and Wolves’ Mathues Nunes are understood to be among their targets.

Tony Cascarino recently argued that Liverpool are being wise to avoid Bellingham this summer as they should sign Man City’s Kalvin Phillips instead.

“I love Jude Bellingham, I think he’s a fantastic player. But do I think he’s necessary for Liverpool at the moment? No,” Cascarino told talkSPORT. “They need more of an engine room [type of player] that was so similar to what they had a couple of years ago, and that is winning that ball back.

“They need two midfielders who can get that ball as quick as they can and I think that would make a massive difference to Liverpool … Jude is a massive talent … but there are more important types of players that need to come in before that luxury.”

He added: “I like Kalvin Phillips at Man City, he’s not being used and OK, Rodri’s performances have been extraordinary, but I think he’s a fabulous ball-winner.”

READ MORE: If it’s Manchester City v Liverpool for Jude Bellingham then ‘dispassionate’ follows Haaland

Bellingham is under contract until 2025 but he is still likely to leave Dortmund this summer amid interest from the likes of Man City and Real Madrid.

Redknapp may have briefly come across Bellingham when he was Birmingham’s manager in 2017.

The 76-year-old has revealed that he has “heard” from a “very good source” that Bellingham “wants to go to Real Madrid”.

“He’s amazing you know, and I heard that he wants to go to Real Madrid, that’s what I’ve heard from a very, very good source close to him,” Redknapp said via the Beyond The Pitch podcast.

“I’ve heard he wants to go to Real Madrid, Liverpool seem to have dropped out of the race, so that leaves Man City or Chelsea, but the rumour is he wants to go to Real Madrid.”

READ MORE: Transfer gossip… New contract for Haaland as Real Madrid seek to sweeten Bellingham deal

The article Redknapp reveals Bellingham’s preferred transfer after Liverpool ‘drop out’ of £130m race – ‘I heard’ appeared first on Football365.com.