Emmanuel Thomas, DPA, Monday, May 15, 2023
DORTMUND – Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl expects a summer bidding race from European top clubs for their England midfielder Jude Bellingham and suggested that he could leave if the price is right.
“I believe the race for him will gain even more momentum after the season,” Kehl said on Sky television on Sunday night.
“Should he go it would probably bring us so much money in line with the market that we can say at the end: Okay, it is a scenario in which we have always found solutions in the past. That’s why we are currently very relaxed.”
Bellingham would not be the first young star to leave Dortmund as in recent years they have sold Ousmane Dembele to Barcelona, Jadon Sancho to Manchester United and Erling Haaland to Manchester City – all for big fees.
The 19-year-old came to Dortmund in 2020 from Birmingham City for €25 million ($27.1 million) and has a contract until 2025 at the Bundesliga title contenders where he has developed into a key player for whom Dortmund reportedly want around €140 million.
Recent Spanish reports recently suggested he has all but agreed personal terms with Real Madrid who however don’t want to meet Dortmund’s asking price and hope to get him for €100-120 million. English clubs are also said to be interested in Bellingham.
Kehl said Dortmund have no deadline on the issue even though it complicates their planning for the next season.
He added a Bellingham departure “would hurt us a lot” because a player of his class and with his leadership skills cannot be replaced adequately, “not even with a lot of money.”
