So, now we know. Liverpool are out of the running to sign Jude Bellingham this summer, which is a shame both for the club and the player. Because a move to Merseyside made so much sense.
Liverpool are in dire need of a new Steven Gerrard, while Anfield would have provided Bellingham with the perfect platform to prove himself as a truly generational talent.
He wouldn't have just been a guaranteed starter, he would have been the foundation on which Jurgen Klopp constructed his next great Liverpool team.
Unfortunately, this season's dramatic dip in form, which will likely result in the Reds missing out on Champions League football and financing next season, has put paid to any hope the German coach had of landing Bellingham.
After all, Dortmund are, quite understandably, seeking around €150 million (£132m/$165m) for their most prized possession and Liverpool are no state-sponsored club. They simply do not have the resources to sign the most-coveted teenager in world football and overhaul their squad.
Bellingham, of course, still has plenty of potential destinations to choose from, but are any of them really as attractive as Anfield?