Nmecha inspires: Dortmund hope for Jobe Bellingham breakthrough | OneFootball

Jobe Bellingham will only be able to watch today’s final match of the year against Borussia Mönchengladbach from the stands, following his red card last Sunday at SC Freiburg (1:1). This unwanted spectator role somewhat fits with the English U21 international’s first half-year at BVB, which all parties had envisioned quite differently.

Bellingham, who faced high expectations from the outset—on the one hand due to his transfer fee of over 30 million euros, and on the other because of his brother Jude’s performances in a BVB shirt—has not yet assumed the key role that was hoped for. Out of a total of 27 appearances, including the Club World Cup, the midfielder has only been in the starting lineup 13 times and has modest statistics with one goal and three assists.

Nmecha Also Needed a Longer Adjustment Period

Because Bellingham has so far only been a supporting player in Dortmund—and is certainly not satisfied with that—there is already speculation that the two sides could part ways as early as this winter. Manchester United and Paris FC are considered interested parties, but for BVB, there is no question of letting the 20-year-old go so soon.

Instead, those in charge—club boss Lars Ricken and sporting director Sebastian Kehl, as well as coach Niko Kovac—are, according to Bild, convinced that Bellingham will still blossom at Borussia. Not least because the youngster regularly demonstrates his great potential in training.

The hope for Bellingham’s breakthrough is also fueled by memories of Felix Nmecha’s first year at BVB. The midfielder, who joined from VfL Wolfsburg in the summer of 2023 for 30 million euros, was already considered an expensive flop, but after a somewhat longer adjustment period, he developed into a regular starter and is now a key performer with excellent chances of making the World Cup squad.

Although there is no guarantee that things will go the same way for Bellingham, the example of Nmecha has shown BVB’s decision-makers that patience with new and young players can pay off.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.