Borussia Dortmund are confident of securing the signature of Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham. The 19-year-old has been a subject of major interest across Europe after his instrumental role in Sunderland's return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017.
The German club believe they are now in pole position to secure Bellingham's signature. They have received strong indications that Bellingham wants to follow in his brother Jude's footsteps by joining them, and believe an agreement will eventually be reached.
Bellingham will likely develop greatly through this move, as plenty of young players have done in recent years at the club. However, Dortmund are in a worse position of late than they have been in years gone by, and this should be considered by players considering a move there.
Are Dortmund ready to challenge for the Bundesliga again?
Jobe's brother, Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham, was signed by Dortmund from Birmingham City in 2020 and made a significant impact during his three-year stint with the club, making 132 appearances and winning the German Cup alongside the likes of Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho in 2021.
However, Dortmund missed out on the Bundesliga title on the final day of the season in 2023, and Bellingham switched to Madrid. This was when things started to go downhill for the club.
Nonetheless, despite a rough couple of years, Dortmund's bargaining position has been considerably strengthened by their strong end-of-season performance this year.
With eight games left, they were languishing in 11th place in the Bundesliga, ten points adrift of a top-four spot. However, they won seven of their remaining matches and drew one against eventual champions Bayern Munich to finish fourth and secure a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League.
This could be the perfect time for both parties as Bellingham could move to Dortmund when they are on the up, and the club could capitalise on that burgeoning momentum gained towards the end of the campaign through Bellingham's arrival.
EFL rising star heading to the Club World Cup?
Jobe was named the EFL Championship’s Young Player of the Year last month, five years after Jude won this award. He also earned a spot on the Championship team of the season, before helping Sunderland beat Sheffield United in the Championship playoff final.
Like many clubs, Borussia Dortmund are looking to make plenty of signings earlier in the summer than usual, with the FIFA Club World Cup looming and a special extra transfer window opened by the authorities.
If Dortmund complete this deal before June 10th, then he will be eligible to play for them at the Club World Cup, which will also feature his brother Jude’s current club, Real Madrid. While they are not in the same group, the two brothers could end up facing each other in the latter stages of the tournament, a prospect which surely has FIFA executives salivating.
The only sticking point would be international duty. Jobe has already made four appearances for England's Under-21s and is in their squad for the European Under-21 Championship, to be held in Slovakia from 11-28 June. Dortmund may encourage Jobe to skip this and prioritise the Club World Cup if he does sign.
The signing of Jobe Bellingham would undoubtedly be a significant coup for Dortmund. The young midfielder has already shown his potential at Birmingham City and Sunderland, and could follow in his brother's footsteps to become another success story at the club.
As fans and betting enthusiasts alike watch this space, it will be interesting to see how this transfer saga unfolds.
