After weeks of speculation BVB Dortmund confirmed yesterday that they have secured the services of English teenager Jude Bellingham on a long term deal. The 17 year old will play his last game for Birmingham City tomorrow and suit up next season in the yellow and black of Germany’s best supported club.
BVB could end up paying £22.5m for the player who they claim has ”astonishing potential”. Their chief rivals for his signature were Manchester United, who even wheeled out Sir Alex Ferguson when Bellingham visited Old Trafford, in an effort to get him to sign up.
Sporting Director Michael Zorc, who is staying on at the club for the next two seasons, said “Jude Bellingham has decided with absolute confidence to pursue his career at Borussia Dortmund. The primary motivation behind his decision were the prospects on the pitch we were able to offer him".
“He has enormous potential, which we will continue to develop together with him over the coming years. He already boasts astonishing quality with and without the ball, and has a strong mentality to boot. Jude will immediately strengthen our first team squad, but we will certainly give him all the time he needs to adapt to the higher level of play.”
It is clear that the opportunity to get a regular starting spot is what has convinced Bellingham that the move to Germany will ultimately benefit his long term career development, much as it has for fellow English midfielder Jadon Sancho, whose future at Dortmund is the subject of much discussion this summer.