Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham has laughed off reports suggesting he has already committed to joining Liverpool in the near future.
The 18-year-old has been outstanding for Dortmund since leaving Birmingham City in 2020, with all of Europe's elite monitoring the England international's progress.
Liverpool have been credited with an interest in Bellingham, but that was taken to the next level by former Middlesbrough midfielder Craig Hignett, who told BBC Radio Merseyside that he had heard 'on good authority' that Bellingham has been telling those close to him that he will be joining the Reds.
"I think I've heard it on good authority and I can't say where I've heard it from, but apparently he has been saying that he is Liverpool bound," Hignett said (via the Daily Mail). "Whether that is January or whether that is the end of the season isn't sure yet, but I think, I have it on good authority that it is almost a cert."
Well, those claims found their way to Bellingham, who replied to a tweet of the report with a GIF of himself laughing, which tells you everything you need to know about this story.
Bellingham has since deleted the response, but his message was clear.
The teenager has been a permanent fixture in Dortmund's starting lineup for a while now and has impressed with a return of two goals and three assists in ten Bundesliga games this season.
It's for that reason that so many European giants are keeping a close eye on the 18-year-old, but Dortmund director Sebastian Kehl, who first sparked the Liverpool speculation, has warned Bellingham's suitors to expect a real battle to keep him.
"He is a Borussia Dortmund player and remains a Borussia Dortmund player," Kehl said recently. "There's a lot of interest around Jude Bellingham, not only Liverpool.
"It's good that we talk about our players. It shows that we are doing something right. We can offer a lot at Borussia Dortmund. We want to win titles, but we have to keep the guys for that."
Source : 90min