Jobe Bellingham has made his mind up about his future - and will not be playing Premier League football next season.
Dortmund have been quietly working behind the scenes for months to secure the teenager’s signature, and despite strong late interest from Champions League-bound Eintracht Frankfurt, Bellingham has chosen Dortmund.
While personal terms appear to be agreed, a deal is not yet finalised. Sunderland hold a strong position with Bellingham under contract until 2028.
However, the club is expected to allow him to leave if their valuation is met - especially given Bellingham’s loyalty last summer when he turned down Premier League offers to help push for promotion.
Sources say Sunderland are holding out for a release clause of around €40 million. But according to Sky Sports, a gentleman’s agreement could see Bellingham leave for closer to €25m upfront, plus €5m in add-ons. Both Birmingham City, Bellingham’s former club, and Sunderland are set to benefit from future sell-on clauses given his rising profile.
Dortmund’s pursuit has been intense. Senior officials reportedly made personal pitches to Bellingham and his camp, and while the midfielder also visited Eintracht Frankfurt, he’s now focused on a move to the Bundesliga runners-up.
Following Sunderland’s promotion, Bellingham praised his teammates in an emotional post-match interview with Sky Sports. He said: “When you've got supporters like this and a group of lads like that, you have to believe.
“I know people doubted us, and that's understandable. We lost a few games. People talk about momentum, but I think we did enough and we showed enough throughout the season for people to at least give us some credit going into the playoffs.
“I know there's the typical art with 'inexperience' by all the ex-pros who speak on Sky. But we've just proved that that don't matter. You get experience by failing - and we failed together so many times. I've been part of this great team. Every single player has made a name for themselves here. So yeah, really proud.”
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