Julius Okorie
Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund have sealed a five-year deal with Jobe Bellingham, young brother of Real Madrid Star Jude Bellingham for €33 Million.
The deal with up to with up to €5 million in bonuses, is the highest upfront fee in the club’s history.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe move cost Dortmund €33 million, with up to €5 million in bonuses—the highest upfront fee in the club’s history. The deal was sealed in record time as Jobe Bellingham officially became a Dortmund player on Tuesday, the final day of the Club World Cup transfer window.
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It means Dortmund can unleash Belligham against opponents at the Club World Cup which kicks off on Saturday June 14 in the United States. Dortmund begin their campaign against Brazilian side Fluminense on June 17.
Jobe, by sealing the deal, now follows in his sibling’s footsteps by joining the Bundesliga giants, five years after Jude made a similar leap from the English Championship to Dortmund.
“I’m very happy to be a Borussia Dortmund player now and to fight for titles together with this great club,” said the 19-year-old, who starred for Sunderland in the just-concluded season. “I want to play my part in celebrating success with these great fans and will work on myself and with the team every day.”
The England Under-21 international, who helped Sunderland win promotion to the Premier League with four goals and three assists in 40 appearances, will wear ‘Jobe’ on his jersey rather than the family name—continuing a tradition he began at Sunderland in a bid to carve out his own identity.
Dortmund’s Managing Director for Sport, Lars Ricken, praised the youngster’s potential: “Jobe is an extremely talented footballer with an impressive level of maturity and intelligence on the pitch for someone so young. His professionalism, dynamism, and hunger to succeed will make him a real asset to our team.”
Jobe’s transfer does not eclipse Dortmund’s overall transfer record—still held by Ousmane Dembélé’s €35 million move from Rennes in 2016—but it surpasses Jude Bellingham’s initial €23 million transfer from Birmingham City in 2020.
The move sets up a potential Bellingham brothers showdown in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, where Dortmund could face Jude’s Real Madrid in the knockout rounds.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
