Joe Bellingham (20, Sunderland) rejected an offer from Eintracht Frankfurt.
German media 'Sport1' reported on the 29th (Korea time) that "Bellingham will not transfer to Eintracht Frankfurt. Will he follow in the footsteps of his brother Jude and take the next step in his career at Borussia Dortmund? At least a transfer to Frankfurt is off the table."
Joe Bellingham is the younger brother of Jude Bellingham, a key midfielder for Real Madrid. Jude Bellingham broke Birmingham City's record as the youngest player when he officially registered for the first team at the age of 16 on July 16, 2019. He has since excelled in various positions, including winger, central midfielder, and central attacker, attracting the active interest of several big clubs.
One year after Jude Bellingham left Birmingham City for Borussia Dortmund, another Bellingham arrived in Birmingham: Jude's younger brother Joe. Joe made the bench list against Colchester in August 2021. In the 2021-2022 season, he played in 11 matches in the U-18 Premier League, scoring 5 goals, and participated in 13 matches in Premier League 2, recording 1 assist.
In the 2022-2023 season, Joe advanced to a semi-regular position at Birmingham, participating in 23 official matches, including 22 league matches, and showcased his talents as a multi-position player by playing as an attacking midfielder, central midfielder, and right midfielder.
In the 2023-2024 season, he transferred to Sunderland. Since then, he has consistently been a starter, participating in 47 official matches, including 45 league matches, and recording 7 goals and 1 assist. In the 2024-2025 season, he played 40 league matches, mainly as a defensive midfielder and central midfielder, recording 4 goals and 3 assists. Joe is contributing to Sunderland's promotion to the Premier League and is facing a perfect departure.
Borussia Dortmund was among the first to show interest in Joe Bellingham. Earlier on the 8th, German media 'Sky Sports' reported that "Dortmund's executives and head coach Niko Kovac visited Newcastle in the UK, with one purpose in mind: Joe Bellingham."
According to reports at the time, not only head coach Niko Kovac but also the technical staff and chief scout were present. Dortmund's 'direct visit' proved how much weight the club places on this transfer.
However, Joe seemed closer to a transfer to Frankfurt. According to a report from German media 'One Football' on the 28th, it was widely discussed that Frankfurt was likely to be the ultimate winner in the bid for Joe.
The situation appears to have changed. According to Sport1, Eintracht Frankfurt has been eliminated from the bidding for Joe Bellingham. Joe visited Germany with his family earlier this week and toured the facilities of the Frankfurt club, but it was reported that the player ultimately rejected the transfer offer.
Dortmund still wants to acquire Joe, and RB Leipzig has shown interest as well, but the likelihood of acquiring Bellingham is low, as they cannot participate in European competitions.
Sunderland wants Joe to stay. Sport1 reported that "Joe has been named 'Young Player of the Year' in this season's Championship, which is the same award that his brother Jude Bellingham received five years ago. Sunderland is determined to keep Joe and strongly hopes for his retention. Joe's transfer fee is estimated to be around €30 million (about 46.7 billion won), of which his youth team Birmingham City will receive 15%."
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