Sunderland sold Jobe Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund during the summer transfer window
The England youth international departed the Stadium of Light in a high profile move shortly after the Black Cats sealed promotion back to the Premier League earlier this year, but has seemingly struggled to make the desired impact for Dortmund in the period since.
Last week, former Premier League midfielder Didi Hamann even went as far as to suggest that the German side had overpaid for the promising talent, stating: “I spoke to people in Great Britain, and they said they paid far too much money for him”.
What has been said about Jobe Bellingham in the German press?
According to German outlet Bild, Dortmund signed Bellingham with the expectation that the midfielder would be a “difference-maker”, but as yet that hasn’t happened. It is claimed that the former Sunderland man hasn’t settled in, that he has “seemed like an outsider” in matches, and is consequently in danger of becoming a “big €30m problem” for Borussia Dortmund. Uncertainty over whether to use him in a defensive or advanced midfield role also persists.
How has Jobe Bellingham fared since leaving Sunderland to sign for Borussia Dortmund?
Bellingham’s Dortmund career started brightly - across four appearances at the Club World Cup, he registered a goal and an assist. But since the beginning of the domestic campaign, things haven’t entirely gone to plan for the midfielder.
First, he made a 26-minute cameo in a narrow DFB-Pokal first round victory over third-tier Rot-Weiss Essen, and then, on his Bundesliga debut, he was hooked at half-time by new boss Niko Kovac.
Moreover, Sky Sports Germany report that in the aftermath of an eventual 3-3 draw against FC St. Pauli, Bellingham’s parents held a “lengthy and emotional discussion” with sporting director Sebastien Kehl after the final whistle. It is understood that the Bellinghams waited for Jobe near Dortmund’s dressing room after the final whistle, and that while this is not particularly unusual, the “surprise visit” from the teenager’s family “was not particularly well-received within the club”.
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A subsequent statement from Kehl read: "We are all disappointed with yesterday's result. And yet, the active area is and remains reserved for players, coaches, and management, not families and advisors. That won't happen again. We have clearly informed everyone involved of this."
In his final outing prior to the international break - during which he has jetted off to captain England U21s - Bellingham played 71 minutes of a comfortable 3-0 victory over Union Berlin, operating in a slightly deeper midfield role, but in both matches since, including a Champions League clash against Juventus, he has been used as a substitute.
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