The rise of Bellingham - From Birmingham school kid to the most valuable player in the Bundesliga

Jude Bellingham continues to go from strength to strength with Borussia Dortmund, as shown by his outstanding performances for the England national team at the 2022 World Cup. The Bundesliga star was seemingly everywhere, pinning the opposition back and driving the ball up the pitch for Gareth Southgate’s side, bagging an assist in the process.

As a box-to-box midfielder, Bellingham has already bagged a goal and an assist in Qatar for England, adding to his impressive nine goals and three assists in 22 games for Dortmund in all competitions this season. Not bad for a player the club signed in 2020 for just €25 million. Which is exactly why the most recent Transfermarkt market value update for the Bundesliga not only increased Bellingham’s value to €100m, but also made him the most valuable player in the German top-flight alongside Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala.

Indeed, the 19-year-old talent has quickly become one of European football’s most sought-after players, with Liverpool, Manchester United and now Manchester City all racing to sign the Dortmund player next summer. And that has also undoubtedly come about thanks to the player’s remarkable form since he made the move to Germany just over two years ago.

Bellingham: From Birmingham to Dortmund in no time at all

While Bellingham’s performances have been impressive in their own right, what makes the player so special is the manner in which he’s grown into a dependable, senior player at such a young age. At Birmingham City, the midfielder was called up to first team duties while still being at school and made his debut for the club at 16 years and 38 days of age, becoming the club’s youngest ever first team player. Bellingham only featured in one full season with his boyhood club, making 44 appearances for the club in the 2019/20 season, scoring four goals and providing a further two assists along the way. In that period, the player’s market value shot up from €2.5m to €12m, before an eventual move to Dortmund was confirmed at the end of the season.

However, the young midfielder still had a lot of work to do upon arriving at the Westfalenstadion with a market value of €27m in 2020. In his first year at the club, Bellingham was used sparingly and allowed time to settle into the club, making only six starts in the 2020/21 Bundesliga campaign prior to the winter break. However, with a change in head coaches at the club came more playing time, and by the end of the season, Bellingham had proved himself ready to hold down a starting role in Dortmund’s midfield. As such, the most valuable English player abroad’s market value ballooned to over €60m by the summer of 2021.

By the time the 2021/22 season came around, European football was well aware of Bellingham’s talents and watched with unbridled delight as he lit up the Bundesliga at the heart of Dortmund’s defence. While Erling Haaland’s goalscoring may have stolen the headlines most weeks, the England international still managed to finish the season with six goals and 14 assists in 44 games, while his market value continued to rise to an incredible €80m.

Now, with another season in full swing, the sky seems to be the limit for Bellingham. Whether Liverpool or any other super club from around Europe will be able to pry the midfielder away from the Westfalenstadion remains to be seen, but if Bellingham can continue playing like he has done for Dortmund, any talk of a transfer fee will undoubtedly be well beyond what Dortmund received for Haaland in the summer.