Recent news shows that Dortmund and Sunderland have come to an agreement on a transfer fee that could reach €38 million. They will start with an initial payment of £27.8 million, plus possible add-ons of £4.2 million. This amount is pretty close to Bellingham’s release clause of €40 million, but it seems like a gentleman’s agreement might have helped lower the price. Sunderland is also expected to get a good sell-on clause, and Birmingham City, which is Bellingham’s old club, will get around 15% of the profit from this transfer.
Jobe Bellingham, who is 19 years old and plays as a midfielder, has been really important for Sunderland, especially when they got promoted to the Premier League in the 2024-25 season. He played 43 games and was a key player in their 2-1 win against Sheffield United in the play-off final. He even won the Championship’s Young Player of the Year award! His great performances have caught the eye of many European clubs, with Borussia Dortmund being the top contender.
Borussia Dortmund is famous for developing young stars like Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, and Jadon Sancho, making it a great place for Jobe to go. The club’s history of helping players grow likely played a part in his choice, especially since his brother Jude had a successful time there before heading to Real Madrid. Now that Sunderland has been promoted, they might be willing to make a big sale, and some reports say this could be a record deal for the club.
For Sunderland, this transfer could break their club record, fitting in with their plan to make the most money from selling players. The sell-on clause and Birmingham’s 15% share of the profit show how complicated these financial deals can be. For Dortmund, bringing in Bellingham fits their goal of investing in young players with a lot of potential, which could make their team stronger for upcoming competitions like the Club World Cup.
