Jude Bellingham values rises as Birmingham City receives…

Jude Bellingham values rises as Birmingham City receives a windfall from Real Madrid

Jude Bellingham joined Borussia Dortmund from St Andrew’s in 2020 and then joined Real Madrid.

Jude Bellingham needs no introduction at St Andrew’s, and Birmingham City fans knew the midfielder was on his way to the top from the moment they saw him. Now, the Real Madrid superstar may be the world’s most valuable footballer.

Bellingham rose through the ranks of his beloved local team Blues’ academy before taking his first steps as a professional, wearing the No.22 shirt. He was on his way to Borussia Dortmund in 2020 after only 44 games for the Blues.

At the time, the Championship club had set aside about £25 million for the generational midfielder, who has now been capped 27 times for England, with add-ons to come, including a percentage of any subsequent move.

Of course, Real Madrid won the competition for his signature last summer, despite interest from other major European clubs such as Liverpool and Manchester City. Dortmund paid an initial sum of £88 million for Bellingham, with an additional £25 million paid through add-ons.

The exact figure Birmingham received at the time is unknown. However, based on that astronomical sum, the Blues were anticipated to get between £10 and £11 million.

If Birmingham’s money was well earned and Dortmund’s money was well spent. The same can be said for Real, as Bellingham continues to impress this season at the Santiago Bernabeu and elsewhere. He has 17 goals and five assists in 22 appearances for Real Madrid, which is joint-top of La Liga.

Bellingham leads the competition in scoring with 13 goals in 17 games. Is the Stourbridge lad suddenly the world’s most valuable footballer?

According to findings from the CIES Football Observatory, the answer is a resounding yes. Data calculated by CIES puts Bellingham’s current worth at €267.5million (£230.4million) with Manchester City sensation Erling Haaland and Bellingham’s Real teammate Vinicius Jnr in second and third.