Borussia Dortmund has taken a decisive step forward in signing Jobe Bellingham. The 19-year-old has decided to move to BVB, but talks with AFC Sunderland are now underway.
It’s a special summer – for the Dortmund players with the demanding Club World Cup and for BVB officials due to an additional transfer window. It has been open since June 1 and runs until June 10, primarily to allow participating teams to take new or returning players with them to the US.
It is therefore entirely possible that a Dortmund player with the surname Bellingham will once again take to the field in the preliminary round matches against Fluminense (Brazil), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), and Ulsan HD (South Korea) – Jobe instead of Jude. The 19-year-old midfielder from AFC Sunderland, younger brother of former Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid player Jude, gave BVB his commitment to a transfer at the beginning of the week.
However, the transfer is not yet certain. According to information from England, Bellingham has a release clause in his contract, which was extended in the summer of 2024 and is valid until 2028, but this is around 40 million euros, which is around 10 million more than Dortmund is willing to pay. A quick agreement is therefore still open, and Sunderland can negotiate from a position of strength after their promotion to the Premier League and the corresponding improvement in their financial situation.
Bellingham’s commitment was preceded by lengthy talks, with managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke flying to England once again to speak with the player and his family, and sporting director Sebastian Kehl traveling to Ibiza, the brothers’ vacation home. The relationship with the Bellinghams has been excellent since Jude’s extremely successful time at BVB. However, it was precisely his brother’s big footsteps that had made Jobe doubt a move to Dortmund.
The England U-21 international is understandably trying to go his own way and step out of the shadow of the 2024 Champions League winners. Eintracht Frankfurt had long been a contender in the race to sign him, and the player had recently visited the SGE club grounds. RB Leipzig was also interested.
