“Player has said YES to the move, Personal Terms and Decision in Principle Agreed” – Sunderland on the verge of sealing €40m deal for Sensational Midfielder after gaining Promotion back to the Premier League

Jobe Bellingham is poised to leave Sunderland, despite their Premier League ascent, in pursuit of career growth in the Bundesliga.

Borussia Dortmund have made significant progress in their efforts to lure Bellingham from Sunderland, according to reports from Germany.

Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sport Germany reports that the 19-year-old attacker has “100% decided” he intends to join Dortmund, having already notified fellow Bundesliga contender Eintracht Frankfurt of his decision. It is now up to Dortmund to agree a transfer sum with Sunderland, who have set their valuation at €30 million (£25m/$34m).

Bellingham was one of the standout performers of the 2024-25 Championship campaign as Sunderland earned promotion through the play-off final at Wembley, following an eight-year absence from the Premier League.

However, the youngster does not appear likely to be involved in the next phase, following what appears to have been a crucial meeting with Dortmund officials recently held in Ibiza. It’s a well-trodden route for the family, echoing Jude’s 2020 move to the German giants, which proved to be pivotal for his career and a perfect launchpad toward Real Madrid and global stardom.

With 116 senior outings for Birmingham City and Sunderland since 2022, Jobe has already featured in nearly three times as many matches in English football as Jude did.

His elder brother had only just turned 17 when he transferred to Dortmund, having appeared 44 times for Birmingham. Despite being one of the world’s elite players, Jude has never featured in top-tier domestic football in England – and it may remain that way for some time, if it happens at all.

The talks between Sunderland and Dortmund are expected to commence “soon”, according to Plettenberg. There are still hurdles to clear in the process, but it is very plausible that Bellingham could be playing in Germany by the beginning of the new season. Looking ahead, it would also potentially offer him a stronger case to break into England’s 2026 World Cup roster than remaining at Sunderland might.