Signs until 2030 

©TM/IMAGO

This summer’s transfer window is likely to throw up a number of interesting moves and stories but few would have expected to see Sunderland star Jobe Bellingham depart English football so soon after helping his club win promotion to the Premier League. Just a few weeks after playing a pivotal role in the Black Cats returning to the English top-flight for the first time since 2017, Bellingham has not only decided to part ways with Sunderland but will be leaving English football entirely for the Bundesliga. 

The young midfielder has turned down offers from RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt in favour of a move to Borussia Dortmund, with the Bundesliga side signing Bellingham for a club record fee of around €30.5 million. Due to Dortmund taking part in this year’s Club World Cup, the German side have competed the deal ahead of the tournament beginning on June 14. 

Considering the manner in which Bellingham has gone from strength to strength since making a €1.75m move from Sunderland in the summer of 2023 and the fact that his older brother played for the club, few would question Dortmund’s interest in signing the 19-year-old talent. But with Premier League football beckoning in just a few months time, some may wonder why Bellingham has opted for a move to Germany instead of staying put with Sunderland next season. So why has Bellingham decided to jump ship and try his hand at German football next season? 

Why has Jobe Bellingham chosen to go to Dortmund?

The most obvious reason behind Bellingham’s move to Dortmund is simply because they’re a big club with a rich history in European football. Add to that the constant prospect of winning silverware in German football, alongside their continued presence in the Champions League and it makes perfect sense for an ambitious, young player to jump at the opportunity of donning the famous black and yellow jersey. 

There’s also the fact that Dortmund are in desperate need of midfield reinforcements and can more or less guarantee a starting role in their team for Bellingham next season. The club are likely to part ways with Salih Özcan and Marcel Sabitzer this summer, while Carney Chukwuemeka’s loan move from Chelsea is unlikely to be made permanent. That means Bellingham would only face serious competition from Felix Nmecha, Emre Can and Pascal Groß for the two midfield spots next season, which shouldn’t be too hard considering that Nmecha remains an inconsistent player in Niko Kovac’s side, while Can and Groß are both over the age of 30. 

We also can’t discount Dortmund’s reputation for developing young players and steering them towards the biggest clubs in the world with remarkable efficiency. As we can see in the graph above, the Bundesliga side have become experts at signing young players at relatively low prices and selling them for big fees. Indeed, the €100m profit the club made on selling Ousmane Dembélé to Barcelona is the third highest profit on a single player in the history of the sport, while Jude Bellingham (€83m profit), Jadon Sancho (€64m) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (€51m) all feature in the top 50 biggest profits in the history of the game. 

Of course, Bellingham won’t be too transfixed on the actual numbers involved, but will instead take note of previous moves as proof that Dortmund have a well-established pathway in place to help him reach his goal of being a top-tier player, much like his older brother. And even if the German club are forced to spend €40m to sign him this summer, it seems more than likely that Bellingham will get the time to grow as a player in the Bundesliga and will likely join his brother on the club’s list of biggest profits in the years to come. And that may be what has enticed him away from Sunderland and the bright lights of the Premier League this summer.