Edin Terzic responded with a weary smile to the question about unwanted background noise in the championship fight. Dortmund are now used to headlines such as Jude Bellingham moving to Real Madrid in the summer.
“Now the news came from Spain. The weeks before that it came from England. Once it even came from France,” the BVB coach commented on the recent speculation about the future of the exceptional talent before the game on Sunday (5:30 p.m. / DAZN) against Wolfsburg .
Terzic calmly referred to similar experiences at the end of the past seasons: “Last year it was Erling Haaland, before that it was Jadon Sancho. These are issues that don’t fit in our dressing room or in the coaching office.”
In Sebastian Kehl’s study, however, the subject of Bellingham is likely to play an important role. Because a possible proceeds of around 120 million euros for the England international, who is tied until 2025, would significantly increase the sports director’s scope for action when looking for reinforcements. There is enough need. The German Press Agency summarizes the current status.
king transfer
Real Madrid seem to be ahead in courting Bellingham. According to information from “Marca,” the “royal” have reached an “agreement in principle” with the 19-year-old on a contract until 2029. Liverpool, previously considered favorites, have left poker due to the high costs. Chelsea also seem to be out of the game Race Attempts by Dortmund to keep the young star for another year are not very promising, especially since a sale next summer would involve financial cutbacks.
preferred candidate
The change of left-back Ramy Bensebaini (28) from Mönchengladbach seems to be a foregone conclusion. BVB is also looking for alternatives for the right side of defence. The candidate is Ivan Fresneda (18) from Real Valladolid. The transfer fee for the Spain U-20 international is estimated at 20 million euros. The sale of reservist Thomas Meunier could at least partially refinance the deal. Kehl would have to dig deep into the club treasury for a Bellingham replacement. A trail leads to Ajax Amsterdam, where Edson Álvarez (25) is currently attracting the interest of many clubs. The Mexican is considered to be as aggressive and strong as Bellingham, but is more of a “six than an eight”.
agreements
So far, Julian Brandt’s contracts have been extended to 2026 and Marco Reus to 2024. Above all, the talks with Captain Reus caused discussions among fans. Critics accuse him of playing his role as the leader of the pack too seldom. Shortly before the agreement between the 33-year-old national player and BVB, almost 62 percent of the participants in a survey by “Ruhr Nachrichten” spoke out against extending the contract. This vote left Kehl cold. “At no time did we allow ourselves to be distracted by current discussions,” commented the sporting director. “As a player and identification figure, Marco is extremely important for this club.”
construction sites
Unlike Brandt and Reus, negotiations with Mats Hummels (34) and Raphael Guerreiro (29) are ongoing. Both contracts expire in the summer. The future of Hummels is open. The 2014 World Champion will make his decision dependent on whether he still sees opportunities to play within the club like Nico Schlotterbeck and Niklas Süle. On the other hand, the club is said to be close to an agreement with Guerreiro. The Portuguese could move into midfield if Bensebaini were signed and fill the gap of Mahmoud Dahoud, who will leave BVB after six years.
beacon of hope
Will BVB once again live up to its reputation as a playground for the highly gifted? The signing of 16-year-old Julien Duranville from RSC Anderlecht at the beginning of the year cost the club at least eight million euros. After surviving a lengthy muscle injury, the Belgian is eager to make his first appearance. “He’s a highly talented winger who’s super strong in one-on-one situations,” enthused Terzic. Duranville’s former coach Vicent Kompany even credits Duranville with winning the Ballon d’Or.
