Jobe Bellingham: Inside a difficult start to the season for the Borussia Dortmund midfielder

Bellingham had only played in the Championship before arriving at Dortmund and had to deal with incredibly high expectations from the start.

Dortmund paid him almost the same transfer fee as they did for his brother Jude when he joined in 2020.

Judd was considered a generational talent at the age of 17 after just one full season with Birmingham City. Meanwhile, Jobe – despite his talent – spent several years at Birmingham and Sunderland. He needed a longer runway to reach Dortmund.

However, Dortmund were keen to bombard the narrative that history could repeat itself.

The three-year spell with Judd was a win-win for everyone. He almost immediately established himself as one of the most promising midfielders in the Bundesliga and eventually left for Real Madrid after an impressive spell for a record transfer fee.

Expectations for the younger brother were perhaps too high in August, especially after Bellingham’s performance in the Club World Cup. The fall happened quickly, but so could the rise.

In the games following the loss to Bayern Munich, Bellingham began to impress more and more, despite still being just a substitute in the Bundesliga.

He played 120 minutes against Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Cup, as Dortmund successfully reached a penalty shootout on enemy soil and advanced to the next round.

Even his attempt against Augsburg in the Bundesliga on Friday did not go unnoticed. Dortmund tried to come home with a 1-0 lead and Bellingham made sure to hold off some of Augsburg’s attacking attempts.

“I think things are going faster than I imagined, because the player has really high quality,” Kovac said after Friday’s match.

There is a realistic chance that, over time, Bellingham will become a regular in Dortmund’s midfield.

Sabitzer didn’t set the world on fire as a playmaker. And although Gross is respected and always reliable – as Brighton fans can attest – he is 34-years-old and cannot provide full strength in every game anymore.

Dortmund may not get a fairytale like Judd, but with patience, the younger Bellingham could turn into a success story.