Liverpool transfer target Jude Bellingham has reportedly distinguished the Merseyside giants as his optimum location to join from Borussia Dortmund, and the Reds must now move swiftly…

What’s the word?

Since signing for Dortmund from Birmingham City for £25m at just 17 years of age, Bellingham has quickly asserted himself as a standout player at Signal Iduna Park, now touted for as much as €150m (£129m) amid interest from some of Europe’s most prestigious clubs.

Liverpool are at the forefront of the rumours, with Christian Falk - writing in his Caught Offside column - hinting that the Birmingham native could be viewing Anfield as the ideal stomping ground to further his career. 

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT on Sunday evening, Dharmesh Sheth stated that despite interest from the likes of Real Madrid, Liverpool could utilise reported factors such as the player's - and his family's - desire for him to move to Merseyside.

The Sky Sports reporter said: “If the will of the player is to say, I don’t want to go [to Real Madrid], I only want to go to Liverpool, for example, I think that changes everything. That’s only because he’s got two years left on his contract, Dortmund would then have a decision to make."

Ward could fix Liverpool's glaring problem

While many Liverpool fans might feel that there is little chance of landing Bellingham this month, with the summer opening the door to what will likely be a relentless transfer saga as Manchester City and Madrid are also in pursuit, reports indicate that FSG have set aside the requisite funds to lodge a bid for the England maestro, and acting swiftly could enable the Reds to pip their rivals to his signature.

With Liverpool currently in dreadful form, falling to meek defeats against Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion in their last two Premier League games, Jurgen Klopp's team badly needs an injection of vitality and dynamism, especially in midfield, which has frequently been cited as a particular weakness.

A combination of poor form, inexperienced or ageing options, multiple contracts expiring and incessant injuries have served to render the midfield a major issue for Liverpool, both now and further down the line.

The 19-year-old has made 112 appearances since arriving in the Bundesliga, scoring 19 goals and providing 21 assists for Dortmund, and he has impressed this season with nine goals and three assists from 22 outings.

This is made all the more impressive by the fact that his primary role in the team is to break up play and forge offensive transitions from his box-to-box position. This is evidenced by remarkable averages of 3.2 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per Bundesliga game, knitted together with a seasonal average 82.5% pass success rate, as per WhoScored.

Journalist Mark Douglas has called Bellingham a "Rolls-Royce of a midfielder", and it's clear to see why; the £49k-per-week phenomenon exudes maturity and composure way beyond his years, orchestrating play and presenting a sharply refined skill set that many top-class midfielders fail to hone to such a high level across the entirety of their careers.

Once dubbed "perfect" by sport writer Jason Soutar, Bellingham could indeed be the transcendent force to drive Liverpool back towards the forefront of European football. Therefore, outgoing technical director Julian Ward simply must make this monumental signing as his great Liverpool swansong, helping to fix the Reds' glaring midfield problems in the process.