Separation or contract extension: Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham conundrum

The argument for attempting to keep Jude Bellingham

The idea of trying to keep Jude Bellingham at Borussia Dortmund beyond this summer is far from a controversial notion; quite the contrary, its a goal that the club should generally aspire to, not just in Jude’s case, but in the long term when it comes to talents of his calibre. Keeping Bellingham in Dortmund, even if just for another season, means that they retain the services of a bonafide world class midfielder who can help them compete for silverware and win matches on his own.

As a player, Bellingham is not only talented but also very vocal on the pitch and does his best to push his teammates to bring the best versions of themselves whenever they play. His maturity has led the club to naming him third captain after Marco Reus and Mats Hummels, which is a testament to the regard the club holds him in. His vocal nature can sometimes get the better of him as he does sometimes let his emotions spill over, but this is often due to a combination of his youthfulness and his general competitive nature. The player himself is often very analytical when it comes to his own performances and will likely have no problem adopting a more tempered approach as he grows in age and experience.

Keeping Bellingham around for longer also does the club a service in terms of attracting additional talent. Having a player like Jude on the pitch is an enticing feature for the club to promote when negotiating with any prospective signings.

While they won’t outright say “sign for us and you’ll get to play with players like Jude Bellingham”, there likely is some level of gravitas in having big name players as potential teammates when players make their decisions on where to go.

Seeing his development and commitment for even just an additional year may also sway players by lending credence to the project being offered; if a player like Jude is sticking around, then perhaps there’s a reason beyond simply assessing one’s future as a player. The Jude Bellinghams of the world want to compete at the highest stage, and every year of their career will likely be calculated in terms of what their prospects are at a given club. Staying in Dortmund for an additional year signals that he sees them as a viable competitive option, and other players will too.