Birmingham City saved their millions in low-key transfer decision - £25m windfall followed | OneFootball

Jude Bellingham attracted plenty of transfer interest before his Birmingham City breakthrough and eventually joined Borussia Dortmund for £25million.

Birmingham City supporters have been treated to the services of several talented players over the years.

The Blues faithful will never forget when their side defeated Arsenal 2-1 in the 2011 League Cup final, thanks to goals from Nikola Zigic and Obafemi Martins.

Tough times were on the horizon for the St Andrew's outfit, though, as they were relegated from the Premier League later that year and remained in the Championship until falling to League One in 2024.

However, Birmingham gave their supporters plenty to cheer about by 2025, as they won the third-tier title by earning a remarkable tally of 111 points.

Jude Bellingham attracted high-profile interest before Birmingham City breakthrough, Blues ended up earning healthy profit

One of Blues' greatest success stories is that of eventual Real Madrid and England superstar Jude Bellingham, who rose through the academy ranks at the West Midlands club before making his senior debut in the 2019/20 Championship season, which turned out to be his only campaign with his boyhood club ahead of his move to German giants Borussia Dortmund.

Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2019/20 term witnessed a hiatus before concluding in the summer months.

Bellingham didn't let the unique and bizarre circumstances surrounding his first season in the senior game faze him, though, and notched four goals and two assists in 41 Championship appearances.

The versatile midfielder made his Birmingham debut in an EFL Cup clash with Portsmouth in August 2019, and became the St Andrew's outfit's youngest ever senior player, at 16 years and 38 days old.

His first Championship appearance arrived less than three weeks later, when he featured as a substitute in a 3-0 away defeat to Swansea City.

As per Birmingham Live, Bellingham had already attracted suitors from across Europe before making his Blues debut, but the West Midlands side were able to resist such interest and retained his services until he completed a full season at senior level.

The St Andrew's side reaped handsome rewards from keeping the homegrown talent until the summer of 2020, when he joined Borussia Dortmund.

According to Sky Sports, Blues sold Bellingham to Dortmund for £25million when he was still just 17 years old.

The England ace instantly became a key asset for the Bundesliga giants, making 46 appearances across all competitions in his first season at Signal Iduna Park, notching four goals and four assists in the process.

Bellingham also won silverware in his first campaign at Dortmund, in the form of the German Cup.

The best was still yet to come for the midfielder on an individual level, though, as he was selected in England's 2022 World Cup squad, and scored the Three Lions' opening goal of the tournament in a 6-2 win over Iran.

Bellingham's impressive international exploits in Qatar came just over two years on from his Birmingham exit, proving how well Blues did to retain his services ahead of his senior career, in the knowledge that he would go on to achieve greatness.

Birmingham City and Borussia Dortmund will be surprised by one aspect of Jude Bellingham's Real Madrid exploits

Bellingham's Dortmund career ended in the summer of 2023, when he completed yet another major transfer, this time joining La Liga behemoths Real Madrid.

The Three Lions ace has gone on to win La Liga, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the Spanish Super Cup with the Spanish capital outfit.

Both Birmingham and Dortmund supporters may have always known that the midfielder was capable of excelling with European football's most successful side.

However, Bellingham began his senior career with Blues as a deep-lying playmaker, a role he often fulfilled in the German top flight, whereas he was utilised as a false-nine in his first season with Madrid, a role he fulfilled with distinction.

In fact, the England star was La Liga's third top goalscorer in the 2023/24 campaign, which will have surprised both the St Andrew's side and Dortmund, as he was not as much of an attacking player for either the Championship or Bundesliga outfit.