Why Dortmund Moved Fast To Add Jobe Bellingham From Sunderland

Borussia Dortmund has signed the second Bellingham in club history. On Tuesday, the Bundesliga club announced the signing of Jobe Bellingham, the brother of former Dortmund and now Real Madrid star Jude, from Sunderland. The 19-year-old has signed a contract until 2030.

As for the transfer fee, Transfermarkt reported that Sunderland will receive €30.5 million ($34.7 million). The deal was completed ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup transfer window closing, allowing the younger Bellingham to participate with his new club at the tournament that will take place from Jun. 14 to Jul. 13.

“Jobe is an extremely talented footballer with an impressive level of maturity and intelligence on the pitch for someone so young,” BVB Managing Director for Sport Lars Ricken said in a club statement. “We have no doubt that he’s the perfect fit for our philosophy of developing talented youngsters and giving them the opportunity to improve and establish themselves at the highest level.”

What do the Dortmund bosses expect from Bellingham? “His professionalism, his dynamism, and his hunger to succeed will make him a real asset for our team,” Ricken said. “We look forward to working with him, and we’re sure that he will have an important role to play in Borussia Dortmund’s future.”

Indeed, the younger Bellingham has been linked with a move to Dortmund ever since his brother played for his club between 2020 and 2023. While Jude scored 24 goals and 25 assists in 132 games for Dortmund, Jobe made his way at Birmingham and then Sunderland.

Several times over the last few transfer windows, there were rumors that Jobe could be joining Jude at Dortmund. But rather than joining his brother in Germany, the younger brother is now set to follow his career path.

Either way, Dortmund director of sport Sebastian Kehl admitted on Tuesday that the club had been following Jobe’s career for some time. “We’ve known Jobe for several years, and of course, we have followed his progress very closely,” Kehl said. “He has taken another huge step forward in his development over the last year, and even at the age of 19, he has become a real leader.”

The Dortmund boss believes that Jobe Bellingham can have a similar impact to his brother at the club. His commanding presence in central midfield is remarkable, and he will improve our team in various systems,” Kehl said.

There will be comparisons to his older brother. But whether Jobe can have the same impact as his older brother Jude, who became a fan favorite during his time at Dortmund before moving on to Real Madrid in a deal worth $130 million plus add-ons, remains to be seen.

Indeed, it would be a mistake to compare Jobe to his older brother. Jude Bellingham was more complete and more dangerous in the attack than Jobe. The younger of the Bellingham brothers is undoubtedly talented but sits deeper in midfield. There are also questions about whether he has the same ceiling as Jude.

Having said all that, Dortmund has an excellent reputation for developing talents past their expected ceiling. Additionally, despite being a regular in the Champions League, Dortmund has given young players opportunities not only to play but also to take on leadership roles. A prime example of this is Jude Bellingham.

Hence, Jobe might not be as good on paper as Jude now. But given Dortmund’s ability to get the best out of players, there is a real chance the younger of the Bellingham brothers could become a real star in the Bundesliga.