Sunderland committed daylight robbery after latest Jobe Bellingham developments at Borussia Dortmund
Sunderland supporters were gutted when Jobe Bellingham departed after their play-off triumph at Wembley Stadium.
While there was a sliver of hope that the teenager would remain on Wearside after securing promotion, it was no surprise that he left to join Borussia Dortmund.
Bellingham’s exit from the Stadium of Light simply had to happen, as it paved the way for substantial spending in the summer window.
Now, that point has been strengthened after the latest developments emerging from the Bundesliga side.
Borussia Dortmund have early concerns over Jobe Bellingham
Romaine Mundle sent Bellingham a message after the midfielder made his first Champions League appearance for Dortmund.
The Englishman came off the bench to play 19 minutes in what was surely the tie of the round against Juventus, ending in a 4-4 draw.
Despite his recent accolade, it appears that the 19-year-old has endured a difficult start to life in Germany.
After starting against St Pauli in the opening game of the season, Bellingham was axed at halftime, leading to his father, Mark, confronting Sporting Director Sebastian Kehl.
Since then, he has only started once, with manager Niko Kovac growing sick and tired of being asked about the midfielder.
“I understand the questions, but we’re at BVB, and at BVB, there’s a lot of competition and quality in the team. I know what he can do; he’s 19 years old and new to us,” he said via BILD on 17 September.
Why Sunderland are better off without Jobe Bellingham
While losing one of your best players can be painful, the Black Cats have shown there is life after Bellingham.
The Wearsiders have had to part ways with their best players over the years, with Jack Clarke and Ross Stewart leaving the Stadium of Light on a high.
Last season, Regis Le Bris’ side failed to win a single game in Bellingham’s absence, but the North East club have used his money extremely wisely.
- The teenager was named in the Championship Team of the Season
- He made 43 appearances, with three of those in the play-offs
- Bellingham made seven goal contributions
The Black Cats sold the 19-year-old to Dortmund for an initial £27.8million plus around £4.2m in add-ons.
This summer, Sunderland signed Habib Diarra for £30m, and he has already shown that he is a level up on Bellingham.
Furthermore, Noah Sadiki cost around £15m, and he is already looking like a steal from Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.
Also, nobody is forgetting the huge importance of Granit Xhaka.
While there is every chance that Bellingham could have flourished in the Premier League, his exit has paved the way for more quality.
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