Borussia Dortmund want Sunderland's Jobe Bellingham to follow in brother's footsteps

Borussia Dortmund are reportedly plotting a £25million move for Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham.

The Bundesliga giants have history with the Bellingham family after Jobe's brother, Jude, transformed into a global superstar during his three-year stint at the Westfalenstadion before moving to Real Madrid, who have also been linked with a move for the precocious midfielder.

Despite Jobe's insistence on cultivating his own identity, Dortmund are hopeful that their former allegiance to his older sibling may swoon the 19-year-old amid growing interest from a catalogue of Premier League clubs.

According to a report from Sky Germany, Dortmund's managing director Lars Ricken and head coach Nico Kovac had flown to the North East on Wednesday to conduct negotiations with Sunderland over a possible deal.

Bellingham progressed through the Birmingham City academy before joining Sunderland in the summer of 2023 and the England Under-21 international has since established himself as one of the hottest prospects outside of the Premier League.

The versatile midfielder has evolved into an indispensable member of Regis Le Bris' side and his broad skillset has come to the fore under the Frenchman's tutelage.

Bellingham's departure could hinge on Sunderland's league status as the Wearside club plot a return to the Premier League for the first time in eight seasons.

Ahead of Sunderland's play-off semi-final clash with Coventry City, Black Cats boss Le Bris responded to growing speculation concerning Bellingham and several other key individuals.

“I don't want to think too much about the future," Le Bris told the Northern Echo. “But obviously when you have a successful team, especially with young players, talented players, it’s always tough to say that you will keep them all in the future.

“We’ll have a lot of interest in these players, so we'll see later. What I can say is that they are all absolutely focused on these games ahead of us. This is really clear, 100 per cent."

• Jobe Bellingham: Position, style of play, stats

Jaquob Crooke

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