Sunderland sold Jobe Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund for a club-record fee earlier this summer
Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has revealed the message that convinced Jobe Bellingham he should make the move to Signal Iduna Park.
In his first interview with club media after the deal was announced, Bellingham confirmed that he had considered staying at Sunderland but that Watzke's intervention was key to his final decision. It has previously been reported that Watzke arrived for the meeting with two special gifts for Bellingham: a new, unreleased shirt with his name and number on the back plus a letter from head coach Niko Kovač stating how much he hoped to have him wearing the shirt next season.
In a new interview with Bild, Watzke has outlined how he allayed Bellingham's concerns about following in the footsteps of his older brother. Bellingham had interest from Eintracht Frankfurt and visited the club in the aftermath of Sunderland's promotion, but ultimately decided to go with Borussia Dortmund.
“This is exactly how I envisioned my role when I handed over my sporting responsibility,” he said.
“I can serve the club when they feel it’s necessary. At that moment, it was brought to my attention that it would be good if I spoke to Jobe. I’ve known the family for a long time and him since he was a little boy.
“It was quite special. Sunderland had just been promoted, and when we arrived at the team hotel, there were a lot of fans standing in front of the entrance. I had the impression that my fans had slept very little and drunk a lot. I simply didn’t want to be recognised, so I did that [wore sunglasses and a hat].
“We talked about what the right path was for him. He was perhaps worried about being compared too much to his brother. I told him that you have to take the right path yourself, regardless of who has taken it before.
“That was the core of a very long and very trusting conversation. Jobe said afterwards that the words had worked. That was a blessing. I was very happy.”
Sunderland earned a club-record fee of around £27.8 million for Bellingham, with the potential to pass £30 million with add-ons. A sell-on clause of around 15% was also included in the deal.
Jobe Bellingham explains why he ultimately opted for Borussia Dortmund move
In a recent interview with Dazn, Bellingham explained how he overcame any initial concerns he had about making the same move as his older brother Jude.
“I don't really care how it looks, but it might look a bit contradictory to some people,” Jobe said.
“I was perhaps being biased against Dortmund for a very long time, because I have anxieties and fears, and you want to be your own man. But I don't think I should let those stop me from making the right decision. For me, it was about choosing the right path, not necessarily a different one. I don't think my path has been the same as Jude's at all.
"But it meant if the right path meant signing for Borussia Dortmund – as so many top young players have – then why would I not do it? It would be a big mistake to sign for another club just because Jude's played here and it didn’t go well. So either way, there are risks on both sides. There are pros and cons to every club.”
Bellingham is currently playing for Borussia Dortmund at the Club World Cup, and scored his first goal for the club against South African side Mamelodi Sundowns.
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