The bold Man Utd and Borussia Dortmund swap deal which could boost two stars World Cup hopes
Manchester United have been linked with former Sunderland wonderkid Jobe Bellingham
Manchester United have expressed an interest in signing Borussia Dortmund youngster Jobe Bellingham as uncertainty surrounding the future of the former Sunderland man continues to intensify in the German media.
Bellingham, younger brother of Real Madrid hero Jude, followed in his brothers footsteps by making the move to Signal Iduna Park in the summer after two successful seasons with Sunderland which saw him rack up 85 league appearances while scoring 11 goals at Championship level to help the team win the play-offs and achieve promotion to the top-flight for the first time since 2017.
It’s a move which saw Sunderland pocket a record-breaking £27m plus a possible £4.2m in add-ons. It helped fund Sunderland’s rebuild with the signing of Granit Xhaka and co, while for Jobe it seemed like the natural next step in his development after seeing his older brother become a hero in Germany just a few years ago.
Dortmund are widely regarded as one of the best teams for developing young players in world football. In recent times they’ve played pivotal roles in harnessing the potential of stars like Erling Haaland, Jamie Gittens, Jadon Sancho, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ilkay Gundogan - the list is endless.
However, just because a transfer looks good on paper does not mean that it’ll work in practice. Nearly a decade ago Italian striker Ciro Immobile failed to acclimatise to the differences between Serie A and the Bundesliga before returning to his homeland and rediscovering his spark while similarly Turkish wonderkid Emre Mor faded into obscurity and never really got close to following the path most Football Manager players had mapped out for him in the virtual world.
And now Borussia Dortmund fans are fearing that Bellingham might be the next to fail. It’s of course early days, but a number of reports suggest the England Under-21 international is already getting frustrated at his lack of game time under manager Niko Kovac. Bellingham has only started two of his side’s six league games and has been limited to 301 minutes of football across all competitions. He has played just 65 minutes in the Bundesliga across the last four games and wants to be on the pitch much more in the run-up to the World Cup.
Could Manchester United sign Jobe Bellingham?
German outlet Sport Bild understands that Manchester United are weighing up a move for Jobe Bellingham. It’s not the first time they’ve been linked with him - there were also reports in January and the summer suggesting Ruben Amorim was a fan of the midfielder.
Ultimately, United had their hearts set on signing Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, and the deal for Bellingham to move to Germany was completed early in the summer window before the Club World Cup. However, had United been aware of how expensive Baleba was they may well have gone in for Bellingham as he was much more affordable.
Instead they ended up with neither, and as it stands, the Red Devils are still missing a natural defensive midfielder to control the match alongside Bruno Fernandes.
Casemiro, who is out of contract in the summer starts most weeks, but has never looked convincing. While the likes of Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo have also sometimes been used without really giving the manager enough of a reason to start them more frequently.
The bold Man Utd and Borussia Dortmund swap deal that could be considered
Kobbie Mainoo, like Jobe Bellingham, is a frustrated figure at present. He’s never been a regular under Ruben Amorim but this season has fallen further down the pecking order with all of his five league appearances coming from the bench. Mainoo was reported to have requested a loan move away from Old Trafford in the summer before this but had his request blocked by Amorim.
The 20-year-old has around 20 months remaining on his contract but has stalled over talks of an extension for a number of months due to his demands over both wages and first team football not being met.
Mainoo is a player of high talent. He starred for England as they reached the final of Euro 2024 just weeks after scoring the decisive goal in the FA Cup final. He carries the ball well, is technically very gifted and has looked to be the latest in a long line of great academy talents.
However, he’s not looked the same player under Amorim, and with Jim Ratcliffe reportedly promising the Portuguese coach another three years, it remains up in the air whether he’ll achieve that potential again while he's still with his boyhood club.
Bellingham is under contract until 2030 and is unlikely to be sold on the cheap, but could United potentially try and entice Dortmund with a swap deal involving Mainoo if the situation regarding his contract isn’t resolved?
It’s the sort of swap deal very few would have thought would be imaginable 15 months ago. However, it could potentially be the best resolution for both parties as the pair try and rejuvenate their careers and stake claim for the 2026 World Cup.