DORTMUND, Germany — Borussia Dortmund has welcomed another Bellingham to their ranks as Jobe Bellingham finalized a five-year contract with the club on Tuesday. This move follows the path of his older sibling who became a standout midfielder at Dortmund prior to transferring to Real Madrid in 2023.
At just 19, Jobe Bellingham joins Dortmund from Sunderland, having played a crucial role in propelling the club to triumph in the playoff final to secure promotion back into the Premier League. He reportedly declined an offer from Eintracht Frankfurt.
Jobe will be eligible to participate in Dortmund’s initial matches of the group stage at the Club World Cup in the United States this month. The team has assigned him the number 77 for the tournament.
The competition will see Dortmund face Fluminense from Brazil on June 17, South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns on June 21, and Ulsan HD from South Korea four days later.
Carving a path similar to that of his brother Jude, Jobe Bellingham excels in a central midfield role with a penchant for advancing the play and supporting the attack. Following a similar trajectory, Jobe came through Birmingham City’s academy and debuted at 16 in 2022, having also showcased his talents with the England Under-21 team.
Despite their parallels, differences also mark the Bellingham brothers. Jobe is entering Dortmund’s fold two years older than Jude was in 2020 and brings experience as a center-forward, a role he performed in select matches for Sunderland.
His standout season with Sunderland in the Championship earned him the league’s young player of the year in April, and he was also named in its team of the season.
Jobe Bellingham now joins a Dortmund squad that clinched a spot in next season’s Champions League after dramatically securing fourth place on the final day of the Bundesliga.