“Jobe Bellingham Says Yes to Bundesliga Giants — Here’s What It Means for Sunderland
Jobe Bellingham Chooses Borussia Dortmund as Preferred Transfer Destination
Jobe Bellingham has decided he wants to join Borussia Dortmund this summer, with the Bundesliga club now preparing to enter formal negotiations with Sunderland over a potential transfer.
Dortmund appear to have won the race to sign the 18-year-old, beating out competition from fellow German sides Eintracht Frankfurt and RB Leipzig. Multiple reports from Germany indicate that Bellingham has settled on Dortmund following a week of discussions and careful consideration.
However, Dortmund must now reach an agreement with Sunderland. A report from Monday evening suggests the Championship club has set a release clause of €40 million (around £34 million).
Should a deal be completed, Birmingham City—Bellingham’s former club—are expected to receive a cut of the fee due to a sell-on clause included when he moved to Sunderland two years ago, reportedly worth 15%.
Dortmund are aiming to finalize the transfer ahead of the first summer window deadline on June 10, just days before the Club World Cup kicks off, where the German club will be competing.
Eintracht Frankfurt had made a strong effort to sign Bellingham, even flying him to Germany shortly after Sunderland’s play-off final victory over Sheffield United for meetings and a tour.
Following that, Bellingham traveled to Ibiza for a holiday with his brother Jude and friends, where he was reportedly joined by Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl, who made another pitch to the young midfielder after initial discussions earlier in May.
Jobe has now expressed his intention to follow in Jude’s footsteps by joining Dortmund.
While Sunderland are unlikely to block the move, they are expected to insist that their asking price or the full release clause is met before any transfer is approved.
