Borussia Dortmund finalizes the transfer of Jobe Bellingham, as the midfielder seeks to emulate his brother Jude’s success.

Sunderland boss Le Bris hails his side’s ‘strong character’ on return to Premier League.

In a significant move, Borussia Dortmund have completed the signing of Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham. The 19-year-old has made the switch after playing a pivotal role in Sunderland’s return to the Premier League, earning the accolade of Championship Young Player of the Season.

Jobe’s transfer to the German club sees him following in the footsteps of his older brother, Jude, who made a similar move to Dortmund in 2020 from Birmingham City. Reports suggest that Dortmund have paid an initial fee of €32 million (£26.9 million) to secure Bellingham’s services at Signal Iduna Park.

In addition to the initial fee, an extra €5 million (£4.2 million) in add-ons is set to be paid to Sunderland over the course of Jobe’s five-year deal in Germany. Furthermore, a 15% sell-on clause has been negotiated, which could see Sunderland benefit financially should Dortmund decide to sell Bellingham for a profit in the future, much like they did with Jude.

As clubs race to meet Tuesday’s deadline ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup, fans can follow the latest updates on this and other transfers. Bellingham could potentially feature for Dortmund in the revamped tournament taking place in the United States.

Currently, Jobe is with the England Under-21 squad, but he would be permitted to leave the international setup to join his new club this summer, as confirmed by U21 boss Lee Carsley. Bellingham has made four appearances for the U21 side and is part of the squad for the European Under-21 Championship, which kicks off in Slovakia on Wednesday.

Jude Bellingham, who signed for Dortmund in 2020, made 132 appearances for the club, playing alongside stars like Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho, and was instrumental in winning the German Cup in 2021. After narrowly missing out on the Bundesliga title in 2023, Jude made a high-profile move to Real Madrid, where he enjoyed a stellar debut season, clinching both La Liga and the Champions League.

Like his brother, Jobe has also been recognised as the Championship’s Young Player of the Year, achieving this honour five years after Jude. Dortmund’s pursuit of the younger Bellingham brother was undoubtedly strengthened by their impressive finish to the season, where they climbed from 11th place with eight games remaining to secure a fourth-place finish and UEFA Champions League football.