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Topics: Borussia Dortmund, Bundesliga, Football, Transfer News, Champions League
Ben McAleer
Topics: Borussia Dortmund, Bundesliga, Football, Transfer News, Champions League
Borussia Dortmund had hoped Jobe Bellingham would be a ‘difference maker’ when they signed him over the summer amid suggestions they overpaid for the midfielder.
Bellingham was influential as Sunderland returned to the Premier League after an eight-year absence, beating Sheffield United in the Championship playoff final at Wembley back in May.
The Black Cats have made a solid start to life back in England’s top tier, claiming seven points from the opening four games.
Bellingham, meanwhile, has struggled for consistency with the Bundesliga outfit as Dortmund try to find his best position in Niko Kovac’s side, having joined for a reported €30.5m.
The 19-year-old has started two of three league matches this season, but was hauled off at the break in the 3-3 draw with St. Pauli last month.
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The decision to withdraw Bellingham at half-time of the stalemate prompted an angry response from the player’s father, Mark, who criticised the club and sporting director Sebastian Kehl, and was subsequently banned from the club's dressing room.
The club, though, are reportedly concerned Bellingham’s family could become ‘increasingly restless’ if Kovac limits the player’s playing time.
Head coach Kovac has used Bellingham in a number of midfield roles, yet has failed to nail down his spot in the starting XI.
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Bellingham’s best position is arguably as a number 6, but he is battling with Felix Nmecha and Pascal Gross for a starting spot alongside Marcel Sabitzer in the middle of the park.
The teenager came off the bench in Dortmund’s entertaining 4-4 draw with Juventus in the Champions League in midweek, as the Old Lady scored twice in second-half injury time to rescue a point.
It comes a week after Dortmund were criticised for overspending on Bellingham by former Germany international Dietmar Hamann.
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The ex-Liverpool man believes the German side paid over the odds to secure Bellingham’s services earlier this year.
“I spoke to people in Great Britain, and they said they paid far too much money for him,” Hamann told German publication BILD.
BILD also added that there is talk of Bellingham’s asking price being driven up by Eintracht Frankfurt’s decision to fly the player to Germany for talks over a potential move to the Champions League side.
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Dortmund are back in Bundesliga action this weekend when they host Wolfsburg, with Bellingham hoping to return to the starting XI having been named on the bench for the club’s last two games.
Kovac has overseen an unbeaten start to the season in all competitions but will have been disappointed by the manner with which they threw away all the spoils in draws with St. Pauli and Juventus.
Dortmund conceded late on in both stalemates, throwing away respective two-goal leads to settle for a point in the Bundesliga and Champions League.