Thread by @AnalyzingBVB

Jobe Bellingham has elected to emulate his brother, choosing to leave the EFL for Borussia Dortmund.

Dortmund's commitment to signing the player was undeniable, but hardly a universally applauded pursuit among supporters. Is this a risk worth taking?

🖊️ THREAD

It's been too long since I produced one of my threads, so thank you for the patience and following along.

Now...Jobe Bellingham.

"Playing box-to-box is what I enjoy the most, as it allows me to get stuck in and drive forward."

Jobe is not exactly like Jude. While the former is anything but clunky or without creativity on the ball, to compare him to a generational talent inevitably provokes feelings of, well, something less than extraordinary.

You see, Borussia Dortmund also understand this. I believe that they have a better understanding of who and what Jobe is than any club outside of Sunderland.
Through the years of intensive scouting and communication between the club and Bellingham family, BVB understands HIM.

My perception is that there has to be some (small) component of this process that has been accelerated by the anxiety BVB feels in regard to domestic rivals joining the race to sign the player.

I simply can't believe that it is nothing more than this. I can't believe it because of two reasons -
He is far too good to ONLY be a panic buy and, spoiler alert, BVB doesn't have the luxury of dropping up to 40m on such a player.

This is a CRUCIAL summer for Sebastian Kehl and Lars Ricken. There is no room for error. UCL cash is guaranteed, but this squad needs more reinforcements than it will secure by the end of August.

So, what is it about his on-field output that would prompt such a sense of desperation for his signature?
I posted his ranking between him and other EFL midfielders recently, but there is a very important lens with which we need to view all that he is doing.

The EFL is a man's game. It's notoriously grueling.
"The Championship is definitely more physical (than the EPL). I feel like we are playing rugby." Jan Bednarek's comparison aligns with the common perception of the league.

This reality makes Jobe's performances all the more admirable when you consider his age and 100% unavoidable comparisons between he and his brother. We are used to seeing young players come through and be given both time and space to roam, dribble, and shine in the Bundesliga.

This is not quite the narrative of the EFL. It obviously begs the question - if the data vs veteran players is not so impressive, how good are the league numbers compared to U21 midfielders? [Image]

Those who have observed him in this context have also come away with the idea that he has done much more than meets the initial statistical eye.
"Once he's played there (EFL) for two years and scored goals, nothing will scare him in the #Bundesliga."

- DIetmar Hamann

Jobe's perception of his game is also portrayed in these figures. He is a box-to-box midfielder. A player that wants to leave his mark in all phases of play and does have the capacity to be effective in each. [Figure is vs all ages in EFL]

Dortmund sees Jobe as a player that will battle for the ball out-of-possession, drive it forward in transition, do it for 90+ minutes, and express the hunger to improve every performance.

"He's always asking questions every day, asking us coaches about where we want him and why and what he should be doing. He's just a joy to work with."
Tony Mowbray's experience with Jobe was the same from his first steps with Sunderland -

"Jobe is an interesting character, he's very driven. Even in the dressing room after the game he's saying 'I need to be better at this, I need to do this better.' He's demanding on himself and as such a young boy he just has to filter into our football club and find his way."

Borussia Dortmund recognize the (somewhat raw) talent, the ability on the ball that often inevitably resembles his brother, sure.
But is isn't the trait of his which is getting Kehl & Ricken out of their seats.

No, what has pushed it over the edge for them is his mentality and pedigree.
The same fire that exists in Jude is also there in Jobe. A similar hunger & unwillingness to be outworked.
It's something every coach wants, but what Niko Kovač dreams of.

I think that some of us, and to an extent myself, have spent a bit too much time analyzing the player through the lens of his potential to immediately partner with the likes of Groß or Nmecha and not enough time looking at the bigger picture.

Dortmund has lacked character. It simply does. I say this as I exhale in frustration and disappointment.
This is a squad that, at this point, is made up of mostly botched attempts at senior leadership or emotionally ill-equipped young talent.

The circles back to the additional layer of attraction to Jobe. I believe he is the ideal marriage of talent and mentality that BVB would ideally deploy as a framework for signing young players going forward.

He's confident, but abnormally professional and determined.
He's related to Jude, but he has earned every bit of the opportunity of what he now aims to do - to leave his own unique footprint on the Westfalenstadion.

He isn't going to orchestrate games. He may not score 15 goals in a season...but I don't believe he has to in order to be worth it. That's not what's required of him in order to justify his transfer.

He'll outwork everyone. He'll grow in tactical discipline. He'll be more physically imposing than Nmecha, Groß, or Sabitzer. He'll lead at a young age when Adeyemi will not. He'll hunt the ball in a high press where Brandt will not. He'll carry his own weight and more.

Dortmund's transfer business is not an A+ just because of this signing. Jobe is not a Haaland, a Sancho, or a Jude.

But the more I think about him and HIS potential without the intervention of discontent toward the likes of Watzke, or the miss on Cherki, the more I get it.

I think he is worth the gamble. But the gamble isn't being given the green light solely on his (very good) technicality, it's clearly about the person.

Thank you guys so much for the support!

I think it's hotly debated subject with a variety of understandable perspectives. This is mine. I respect yours.

Heja BVB ⬛️🟨