Liverpool have held a long-term interest in Jude Bellingham, and now there has been an update on the club's pursuit of the player.

What's the latest?

According to The Daily Mail journalist Simon Jones, Liverpool are expecting to complete the signing of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham next year.

As per Jones' report for the publication, the club are not willing to part ways with Naby Keita this summer despite speculation that he is unhappy at the club, and hope to retain the midfielder's services ahead of their pursuit to secure the signing of Bellingham in the summer of 2023, when Keita will be out of contract.

Klopp's missing puzzle piece

It is no secret that Liverpool have been interested in signing Bellingham for a long time, and Klopp has even addressed the speculation surrounding a move for the player, ruling out his move to Merseyside this summer.

Klopp told the press when asked about the signing of the Borussia Dortmund wonderkid:

"He’s not on the market, so that’s the first problem with that player. Well, the only problem with that player!

"Of course [I value the youngsters highly]."

The £103m-valued sensation whose technical ability was hailed as "scary" by Jack Grealish would be a great addition to the Liverpool squad and judging by their long-term admiration of the player, it could be Klopp's dream signing, especially with many changes to the midfield likely to unfold over the next 12 months.

Indeed, the central areas at Anfield feel like the final missing piece of the jigsaw right now when it comes to challenging champions Man City.

Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will all be out of contract in June 2023, and with Thiago Alcantara and Jordan Henderson well into their 30s there is certainly an opportunity for Klopp and the powers at Anfield to start considering the future of the midfield three.

Bellingham has gone from strength to strength since joining his current Bundesliga club, and has even broken into the England team with 15 caps so far, meaning he will likely feature in this year's World Cup when Gareth Southgate names his squad in a few months' time.

Compared to his positional peers in the top five European leagues over the last 365 days, the 19-year-old sensation has ranked in the top 10% for shot creating actions, dribbles completed, overall touches, progressive passes received and assists, proving that he is capable of offering high quality in a high pressing system.

Very much a well-rounded midfielder who could slot into Liverpool's squad for the next ten years, this would be a marvellous addition, one Klopp would be delighted to secure as he aims to add the last piece of the jigsaw to his team.

The signing of Bellingham won't be easy for Liverpool with many other clubs also interested in acquiring the young talent's services next summer including Real Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea, but if they can get a deal done it could be quite the coup.