Jobe Bellingham sends message to Sunderland ‘partner’ after Dortmund latest
Jobe Bellingham has sent a message to one of his former Sunderland teammates, amid the latest developments following his move to Borussia Dortmund.
The 19-year-old enjoyed a memorable campaign with the Black Cats last season, which ended in the perfect fashion.
Bellingham was a standout performer as Sunderland beat Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final at Wembley to seal promotion to the Premier League.
However, the midfielder will not be playing for Regis Le Bris‘ side in the top-flight of English football during the 2025/26 campaign.
It has already been confirmed that Bellingham has left Sunderland to join Borussia Dortmund on a five-year contract this summer.
Chris Rigg gets Jobe Bellingham message
Having completed that move to the Bundesliga side, it has not taken long for the England youth international to get involved with his new club.
On Tuesday (17 June), Bellingham made his competitive debut for Borussia Dortmund, coming off the bench in a 0-0 draw with Brazilian side Fluminese in the opening game of their Club World Cup campaign.
The following day, the 19-year-old was keen to deliver a reminder to his time at Sunderland, paying tribute to Black Cats ace Chris Rigg as he celebrated his 18th birthday.
Taking to his Instagram story, Bellingham posted a series of pictures of himself and Rigg together, tagging the midfielder along with a caption that read: “Happy birthday partner. Big 18!”
Sunderland will want to keep other key stars
Football Insider Verdict
It is hard to blame Bellingham for making a move such as this, given it allows him to compete in some major tournaments and challenge for trophies, as well as follow in the footsteps of his older brother.
However, there is no denying it is a blow for the Black Cats to lose a player with his influence, ahead of a season in which they will finally look to re-establish themselves back in the Premier League.
As a result, Sunderland will no doubt want to try and avoid too many more high-profile departure during this transfer window.
Earlier in the window, Football Insider was told that Everton are leading Man United in the race to sign Rigg, meaning he is another they may face a fight to keep.
Even so, the appeal of Premier League football is something they will hope boosts their chances of keeping him, given unlike Dortmund with Bellingham, those sides cannot offer him European football too.