Birmingham City midfielder Jude Bellingham already looks primed for big things in the game after enjoying a successful breakthrough season at St Andrew's at the tender age of just 16.

Bellingham did not look set to feature in Pep Clotet's plans during the early stages of the Championship season, but he then made his league debut during a 4-0 defeat to Swansea City and has since sat out of only one second-tier match.

The Blues youth product has managed to hold down his place across the Midlands' outfit's midfield, with Bellingham's well-rounded footballing skillset equipping him with an impressive versatility which enables him to play in central and wide roles.

His performances have unsurprisingly captured the attention of some of England's biggest clubs with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea having shown interest, while clubs on the continent are also firmly in the mix for his signature, according to the Mirror.

Reports are now suggesting that German giants Borussia Dortmund have proposed a lucrative contract offer to Bellingham, with this understood to be worth more than what United are prepared to put on the table for the talented 16-year-old's services.

It is starting to look increasingly likely that Bellingham could face a straight decision between United and Dortmund over the summer, and while Old Trafford is certainly an attractive destination for the midfielder, the benefits of a move to Germany should not be understated.

Dortmund have continued establishing themselves at the forefront of European youth development over the last decade with bright prospects such as Mario Gotze, Ousmane Dembele and Jadon Sancho blossoming into coveted professionals at Signal Iduna Park.

The Ruhr side have placed heavy focus on youth talent in order to keep competing at the top in Germany. This has involved carefully nurturing their academy prospects in addition to poaching the best young players from elsewhere, with Erling Braut Halaand and Giovanni Reyna recently becoming the latest stars to see sense in a move to Dortmund.

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Dortmund represents the ideal destination for Bellingham at present given the club's determination in developing their young players, while one only needs to look back on Sancho's success in Germany in order to detect the rewards that can be reaped from committing to Die Borussen at an early stage.

Sancho took the left-field decision to make the switch from Manchester City to Dortmund at the age of 17 in the summer of 2017, and the winger was immediately included in the first-team fold at the Westfalenstadion before soon becoming a key player for the Bundesliga giants.

This has seen Sancho nail down a spot in Gareth Southgate's England squad while becoming one of the most feared players in Germany after his 69 Bundesliga appearances, and the attacker may have still been waiting for his first-team debut if he had remained at the Etihad Stadium.

Bellingham should use Sancho's unparalleled success in the German top tier as a blueprint when plotting his next move, and Dortmund reportedly preparing to offer a large salary to the Blues midfielder suggests they intend to immediately involve him at first-team level.

There would be no guarantee of instant senior football if Bellingham joined United this summer, and the fact Dortmund have already proven their readiness to invest time and, crucially, first-team minutes into their brightest young players should play a considerable factor in Bellingham's decision.

A potential transfer to Dortmund would present Bellingham with an opportunity to keep improving his skills within the senior game over the next three or four seasons, and this could then lead to a big-money move to one of Europe's powerhouse at a time where Bellingham may not have even turned 20 yet.

Such has been the rate of his progress, Bellingham now looks like he will be departing Birmingham with a full season of senior football under his belt at the age of just 17, and the growing prospect of him joining a club renowned for its careful harnessing of youth talent means Bellingham's potential looks set to be boundless.