Borussia Dortmund will reportedly appoint Jude Bellingham as third-choice captain for next season, a decision which could throw some doubt over Liverpool’s potential chances to sign the England international.
According to Kicker, head coach Edin Terzic has made the shock decision to make the 19-year-old midfielder Dortmund’s third-choice skipper, with Marco Reus retaining the armband for the upcoming season and Mats Hummels set to act as deputy to his German counterpart.
The appointment of Bellingham as third-choice Dortmund captain is a surprising one, to say the least, with the midfielder one of the youngest members of the Bundesliga side’s squad and a player who is reportedly a target for Liverpool, who could move to sign the former Birmingham City superstar next summer in a £100m deal.
Indeed, this bombshell could potentially jeopardise Liverpool’s plans to sign Bellingham next year, as the midfielder being handed a leadership role could hint at the teenager either staying in Germany with Dortmund or the club themselves again raising the value for their star talent.
Bellingham has been a regular for Dortmund since joining the club in 2020, with the dynamic English talent now a regular for Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad and tipped to become one of the nation’s best-ever midfielders, and for Liverpool, the teenager has been hotly linked with a move to Anfield for months.
Whilst a return to England is very likely next year, this decision from Dortmund to make Bellingham a captain at the club is a shock, to say the least, and it could be one that plays well into the Bundesliga giants’ hands as it could leave to Liverpool having to pay more for the midfield sensation.
Liverpool’s quest to sign Bellingham just got a lot harder
Bellingham being handed a captains role for next season speaks volumes over how incredible this teenager is, with many expecting the 19-year-old to become a superstar for England and an era-defining player, yet for Liverpool, trying to sign the midfielder has now just become a lot more difficult.
After all, Dortmund remains in a position where they don’t need to sell, and with Bellingham having a huge role at the club, the midfielder himself could now have doubts over leaving Dortmund for a side like Liverpool if he is able to one day become the captain of the side who contests regularly for silverware.
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