Jobe Bellingham on brink of £25m move to Dortmund from Sunderland
Jobe Bellingham is on the brink of completing a move to Borussia Dortmund that could be worth more than £25million to Sunderland.
Bellingham, 19, has been a target for three German clubs since helping Sunderland return to the Premier League with a dramatic Championship play-off victory against Sheffield United at Wembley.
He met officials from Eintracht Frankfurt last week and spoke to representatives from RB Leipzig. However, his intention was always to follow the path of his brother, Jude, who moved to Dortmund in 2020 at the age of 17.
Sebastian Kehl, Dortmund's sporting director, flew to Ibiza to meet Jobe, who is on theBalearic island with Jude for his summer holiday, and that appears to have been conclusive.
Bellingham confirmed his decision to join Dortmund on Monday and discussions between Sunderland and Kehl about a transfer fee have been continuing since.
Sunderland's capture of Enzo Le Fée on a permanent deal from Roma was concluded on Tuesday afternoon. The fee for the 25-year-old French midfielder, who initially joined the club on loan in January, could rise to £20million.
Bellinham's exit could be confirmed soon. He moved to the Stadium of Light from Birmingham City for £3million two years ago and had a release clause of about £33million in his contract.
It is thought that an there was agreement between Bellingham and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, the Sunderland owner, for that fee to be reduced to about £21million after the club's promotion. With future add-ons, the initial fee could rise by more than £5million.
Dortmund want the transfer completed before the first of the summer's two transfer windows closes on June 10. That would allow them to play the central midfielder at the Club World Cup, where they face Fluminense, Mamelodi Sundowns and Ulsan in group F.
Bellingham, who has four England Under-21 caps, had been named in Lee Carsley's squad for the European Under-21 Championship in Slovakia, which starts on June 11. However, it is now likely he will miss that tournament along with Liam Delap, who is set to join Chelsea from Ipswich Town, to take part in Club World Cup in the United States.
Birmingham are thought to have a sell-on clause that entitles them to 15 per cent of any future sale involving Bellingham.
Bellingham was a key part of the Sunderland side who were promoted back to the Premier League for the first time since 2017, scoring four goals and claiming three assists in 43 matches. His all-round game has developed under Régis Le Bris, the Sunderland head coach, with the player adopting a deeper, holding role in midfield during the crunch play-off games.
Dortmund had a dramatic end to the season, winning seven of their final eight Bundesliga games to finish fourth and secure a place in next season's Champions League.
Sunderland have also sold their play-off final hero Tommy Watson to Brighton & Hove Albion for £10million in a deal that was agreed in April.
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