Borussia Dortmund officially signed this week Jobe Bellingham, who is Sunderland's 19-year-old forward. His is one of those names that emanate youth and promise, with only a smattering of experience behind it as well. Jobe is the sibling of Jude Bellingham, the gifted midfield maestro who overnight sensation in Germany before lighting up for Real Madrid.
He has until 2030 on his current contract. The price? €33m up front with another €5m bonuses on offer. They're taking one huge risk for someone who is far from certain, but the context is why Dortmund have taken the move. They want to do something they have done before. Primarily, it is forestalling the anxiety over losing the opportunity of beating other titans who would have been watching with great curiosity, for sure.
The burden of the name
Jobe Bellingham joins the club that brought his brother into the limelight. And with that, of course, comes comparisons. Jude arrived from Birmingham in the year 2020 and overnight emerged one of the key men for the side. He scored 24 goals, gave 24 assists, and captured the DFB Pokal. He left for a profit of €82.5 million with the good sensation of having done his job well.
We might anticipate that Jobe has expectations of his own hanging over his head like a cloud. That's dangerous, though. A great number of sports heroes have cracked under the pressure of a name. For Jobe, there's the gauntlet of doing that. He doesn't have to be the next Jude.
Statistics
He played for Sunderland last season who struggled with last season's Premier League promotion. He played in 48 matches, scored four goals, and had three assists. He had also been called into the English national U-20s. Those are figures that reflect appearance and consistency.
Borussia Dortmund is betting on expansion. That is the sporting philosophy of the club. The young ones are bought and developed by the German club. The recent past is proof that they do it well. The acquisition of Jude is proof of it as well. Every case is special, nonetheless. And Jobe will have to prove that he is able to develop in this demanding environment.
Early mission Jobe will play his first official game for Borussia Dortmund in the Club World Cup, which begins later this month. Borussia Dortmund is in Group F in the tournament with Fluminense, Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, and Ulsan HD of South Korea. They will face Fluminense in their Group F match on June 17.