Borussia Dortmund have stepped up their interest in Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham after a club delegation that included head coach Niko Kovac flew to England on Wednesday.
Dortmund have been long-term admirers of the 19-year-old, who has emerged as a key figure in Sunderland’s run to the Championship play-offs.
And Kicker has reported several senior figures at the club – Kovac, sporting director Sebastian Kehl, sports manager Lars Ricken and chief scout Sebastian Krug – flew by private jet to nearby Newcastle yesterday.
Starkes BVB-Interesse an Jobe Bellingham – Hochkarätig besetzter Kurztrip nach England #BVB #BVB09 #BorussiaDortmund https://t.co/FqsRgxPBeW
— kicker ⬢ Borussia Dortmund (@kicker_BVB) May 8, 2025
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Bellingham the ‘obvious’ target – Kicker
Club officials refused to confirm the reason for the trip but Kicker state it is “obvious’ the purpose was to hold talks with Sunderland.
Dortmund are keen on taking Jobe to the Bundesliga in the hope he can replicate the success of his brother Jude, who moved to Signal Iduna Park in July 2020 for an initial fee in the region of £25million.
Two years later, Jude signed for Real Madrid for a reported £88.5m.
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Real Madrid and Manchester United also rumoured to be interested
Dortmund are likely to face competition for Jobe’s services with Manchester United and Madrid also rumoured to be interested, and their position is not helped by the fact they don’t yet know whether they will be able to offer European football next season.
A three-game winning streak in the Bundesliga has moved them up to fifth and all options remain on the table. A place in the Champions League is a possibility – they are just a point adrift of fourth-placed Freiburg – as is missing out altogether with a bunch of teams in close pursuit.
Jobe is unlikely to come cheap, either, with his contract at the Stadium of Light not expiring until 2028 while he was named Championship Young Player of the Season last week.
He made his debut for England Under-21s in November and has reportedly caught the eye of senior boss Thomas Tuchel, himself a former Dortmund boss.
Jobe will be a key man for Sunderland in the play-offs which get under way for the Black Cats tomorrow night with a visit to Coventry City.
