Ex-Sunderland Star Receives Controversial Assessment From Dortmund

AFC Sunderland had to part ways with one of the players who played a crucial role in the team's return to top-flight football. They filled the void by acquiring Strasbourg’s Habib Diarra and Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen. 

The Black Cats are off to a great start, securing seven points out of the possible 12 in the Premier League. Although the loss to Burnley in the second game and to Huddersfield in the EFL Cup round two was a tough pill to swallow, Regis Le Bris can praise his men for outperforming the two Manchester clubs after the first four fixtures. 

But the Bundesliga club that traded for the Sunderland midfielder doesn’t seem pleased with the signing. 

Dortmund’s honest feelings about former Sunderland midfielder

Sunderland sent star midfielder Jobe Bellingham ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup to Borussia Dortmund for a record €33 million. The deal also includes €5 million in add-ons and a 15% sell-on clause. 

Bellingham made his Dortmund debut against Fluminense in a 0-0 draw and played 31 minutes. He scored his first goal for the German side against Mamelodi Sundowns at the brink of halftime. The youngster played 83 minutes, his highest total to date. 

The 19-year-old provided an assist against Ulsan HD in his third outing but picked up a yellow card. He played for nearly an hour against Monterrey but was given a yellow card at the 28-minute mark, leading to a suspension in Dortmund’s fixture against his brother’s side, Real Madrid. 

Bellingham made his Bundesliga debut against St. Pauli in a 3-3 draw on August 23. He played for 71 and 25 minutes in the next two games, but has yet to add anything to his Bundesliga goal and assist tally. The English midfielder also made his UEFA Champions League Debut against Juventus earlier this week, but only saw the pitch for 19 minutes. 

Dortmund manager Niko Kovac is still figuring out the best role for Bellingham. His decision to substitute the youngster on his debut wasn’t received well by the player’s father, who was banned from the dressing room for his behavior. 

According to former Liverpool CDM Dietmar Hamann, Dortmund believes the deal was far from a wise decision. 

“I spoke to people in Great Britain, and they said they paid far too much money for him,” Hamann said. 

The ex-Premier League star revealed that Eintracht Frankfurt’s interest in the player might have played a key role in the inflation of the player’s deal. 

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