Jobe Bellingham’s shirt number, contract length confirmed as Borussia Dortmund, Sunderland confirm record transfer

Borussia Dortmund have announced the signing of midfielder Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland.

Nineteen-year-old has penned a five-year contract until 2030 and will wear number 77 shirt for the Bundesliga giants.

The deal is believed to be worth an initial £27.8m (€33m) which includes a 15% sell-on clause, and it represents the highest transfer fee that Sunderland have ever received as well as the second-highest Dortmund have paid for a player in their history.

Sunderland are said to have also negotiated add-ons worth around £4.2m; £2.1m (€2.5m) of those add-ons are deemed easily achievable, while the remaining half are more challenging.

Birmingham-born Bellingham follows in the footsteps of his brother Jude in swapping the EFL for Dortmund, where he made 132 appearances over a three-year period before joining Real Madrid in the summer of 2023.

Jobe leaves Sunderland after two successful years at the Stadium of Light, helping the club secure promotion to the Premier League via the playoffs last season.

The midfielder is free to play for Dortmund at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States later this month and will not represent England at the Under-21 European Championship.

“Jobe, Adopted Mackem”

Bellingham has taken to social media to bid an emotional farewell to Sunderland, thanking the Black Cats’ fans for their support and confirming that he is now an “Adopted Mackem”.

A statement on Instagram read: "Dear Sunderland, it’s time for me to say farewell to all the loyal people of Sunderland, who have powered me through two incredible years in Red & White.

"Your support, on so many occasions, has completely blown me away, especially in the times of adversity which we pulled through together. You welcomed me with open arms as a kid leaving home for the first time, and I am proud that our relationship has grown to be so strong ever since.

"Your support for the team and I since I arrived at your beloved club was unwavering, and for that I am forever indebted to you as people and supporters. I will always represent Wearside in all that I strive to achieve for the rest of my career, wherever that may be.

"I hope that I have made you proud along the way, and in return you have made me the player that has reached the heights I find myself at today.

"I tried to embody the passion you have for the city on the football pitch and I’m so incredibly delighted that our journey came to an end with a victory at Wembley to restore the club in its rightful place.

"So thank you. I will love and remember you fondly for the rest of my life, from the bottom of my heart. To the staff, players & most importantly the supporters thank you so much & good luck for the future. Jobe, Adopted Mackem."

Bellingham keen to “fight for titles” at Dortmund

Reacting to his transfer to Dortmund, Bellingham told the club’s official website: “I’m very happy to be a Borussia Dortmund player now and to fight for titles together with this great club.

“I want to play my part in celebrating success with these great fans here and will work on myself and with the team every day. And I’m very happy that I’ll be wearing the black and yellow jersey at the FIFA Club World Cup.”

He added: “To be honest, I had to think about [a mov to Dortmund] for a very long time. Not because of anything to do with the club, but because of my history, my personal journey with Sunderland.

“I weighed it up for a long time and I know the fans were a bit worried, but I thought long and hard about it. That's why I'm sure it's the right decision. I spoke to a lot of people at the club, some of whom I already knew.

“Of course, I also spoke to the coach, who I really have faith in and who thankfully also has faith in me, but the conversation with [chief executive Hans-Joachim] Watzke was probably the deciding factor.

“He ultimately convinced me to sign with Borussia Dortmund. I'm sure that I made the right decision. I'm really looking forward to it now.”

Bellingham, who chipped in with four goals and three assists in 43 Championship appearances for Sunderland last season, becomes Dortmund’s first summer signing under head coach Niko Kovac since his arrival in February.

Written by
Oliver Thomas