\n<\/p>\n
Bellingham had only played in the Championship before his arrival in Dortmund and had to deal with incredibly high expectations from the get-go.<\/p>\n
Dortmund paid roughly the same transfer fee for him as they did for his brother Jude when he joined in 2020.<\/p>\n
Jude was deemed a generational talent at the age of 17 after only one full season with Birmingham City. Meanwhile, Jobe – albeit gifted – spent several years at Birmingham and Sunderland. He needed a longer runway to get to Dortmund.<\/p>\n
And yet Dortmund made sure to pound the narrative that history could repeat itself.<\/p>\n
The three-year-long run with Jude was a win-win for everyone. He almost immediately established himself as one of the most promising midfielders in the Bundesliga and eventually left for Real Madrid after a great spell for a record transfer fee.<\/p>\n
Perhaps expectations for the younger brother were too high in August, especially following Bellingham’s performances at the Club World Cup. The downfall happened quickly, but so can his rise.<\/p>\n
In the games following the loss to Bayern Munich, Bellingham has started to impress more and more, even though he is still only a substitute in the Bundesliga.<\/p>\n
He played 120 minutes against Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Cup, as Dortmund powered through to the penalty shootout on enemy soil and advanced to the next round.<\/p>\n
Even his effort against Augsburg in the Bundesliga on Friday did not go unnoticed. Dortmund tried to sail home with a 1-0 lead and Bellingham made sure to deny a few of Augsburg’s offensive attempts.<\/p>\n
“I believe things go faster than even I could have imagined, because the lad has really a lot of quality,” Kovac said after Friday’s game.<\/p>\n
There is a realistic chance that with time, Bellingham will become a regular starter in Dortmund’s central midfield. <\/p>\n
Sabitzer has not set the world on fire as a playmaker. And Gross, while respected and always reliable – as Brighton fans can attest – is 34 and cannot go full force every game anymore.<\/p>\n
Dortmund might not get a Jude-like fairytale, but with patience, the younger Bellingham could turn into a success story.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n