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Ben FlemingPublished Nov 12, 2024, 11:29am|Updated Nov 12, 2024, 11:30am
Jobe Bellingham has been linked with European giants Borussia Dortmund in a move that would see him following in the footsteps of his older brother – and Real Madrid star – Jude.
Having also come through the academy at Birmingham City, Jobe made the switch to Championship side Sunderland for a fee of around £3million in 2023.
The 19-year-old scored seven times in his first season at the club and has continued his good form this season, with two goals in his first 13 games to help the Black Cats sit top of the table.
His performances earned him a first call-up to the England Under-21 side this week where he was reunited with his older brother who will feature in Lee Carsley’s first-team squad for the two Nations League games against Greece and the Republic of Ireland.
But his form also appears to have already caught the eye of clubs higher up the pyramid, with The Sun reporting that German club Dortmund are now weighing up a bid for the midfielder.
The Bundesliga club first signed Jude for an eyebrow-raising £30million in 2020 after just one season at Birmingham but had their judgement soundly rewarded as he went on to become a key player during his his three seasons at the club.
Having left for Real Madrid in 2023 for a huge £115m fee, Dortmund are now said to be keen to get back in the Bellingham business by luring Jude’s younger brother to the continent.
Scouts from Dortmund were due to fly over to England to watch Jobe more closely but those plans were temporarily halted after he picked up a ban following a red card at the start of November.
While a big move to a Champions League club may be appealing, Jobe may well have reservations about following the exact same path as his older brother.
Since joining Sunderland last season, Jobe has decided to have his first name rather than his family name on the back of his shirt, a move designed to try and separate himself from comparisons with his older brother.
‘I think he’s trying to create his own identity,’ former Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray said at the time.
‘He doesn’t want to live off the back of his brother’s name; he wants to be the footballer that he is and show people what he can do.’
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