Lucien Favre reports Jude Bellingham breakthrough in training camp
It appears Dortmund have yet another budding young star close to finding his way into the starting XI.
In an interview with German footballing magazine Sport Bild, Borussia Dortmund manager Lucien Favre reports that he has been most pleased with the progress 17-year-old English phenom Jude Bellingham has made in the BVB’s training camp. While the recently-acquired teenager still faces still competition for a place in the midfield starting XI, Favre’s words suggest he may be much further along than anyone could have anticipated.
The interview quotes Favre as saying: “It’s important that we have midfielders who can accelerate [the pace] of the game, step on the dribble, make that final pass. Jude senses when he needs to leave his position and head forward. That’s very important”.
The BVB manager reportedly sees Bellingham as an ideal complement to Axel Witsel in central midfield. His dynamism may bring qualities to the position that competitors for the position, such as the more defensive-minded Thomas Delaney, lack.
Even if Bellingham doesn’t earn a starting spot, one can anticipate that he may quickly become a regular fixture as a late-game killer-sub. Favre showed no hesitation in using 17-year-old American Giovanni Reyna in that role after he put together a particularly impressive training camp in the January 2020 Winterpause.