Jobe Bellingham left Sunderland to sign for Borussia Dortmund this summer

Debate continues to rage in Germany over Jobe Bellingham following his summer transfer from Sunderland to Borussia Dortmund.

The midfielder left Wearside to join the Bundesliga giants in a big money move shortly after the Black Cats secured promotion back to the Premier League earlier this year, but has struggled to make a consistent impact for his new side in the period since.

After registering a goal and an assist across four appearances at the Club World Cup, Bellingham has found himself in and out of the starting XI since the beginning of Dortmund’s domestic campaign, and was at the centre of discussions in the media recently after it was reported by Sky Sports Germany that his parents had held a “lengthy and emotional discussion” with sporting director Sebastien Kehl after he was substituted at half-time in a 3-3 draw against FC St Pauli.

A subsequent statement from Kehl read: "We are all disappointed with yesterday's result. And yet, the active area is and remains reserved for players, coaches, and management, not families and advisors. That won't happen again. We have clearly informed everyone involved of this."

In total, Bellingham has played just 186 minutes of first team football since the start of the new season, and there have been suggestions from some quarters that Dortmund may have overpaid to prise the teenage talent away from Sunderland.

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What has been said about Jobe Bellingham in the German press?

Earlier this week, German outlet Bild stated that Dortmund signed Bellingham with the expectation that the midfielder would be a “difference-maker”, but as yet that hasn’t happened. It is claimed that the former Sunderland man hasn’t settled in, that he has “seemed like an outsider” in matches, and is consequently in danger of becoming a “big €30m problem” for Dortmund. Uncertainty over whether to use him in a defensive or advanced midfield role also persists.

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What has Borussia Dortmund boss Niko Kovac said about former Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham?

And now, a fresh report from Bild suggests that the German club are growing frustrated with the ongoing debate surrounding Bellingham, prompting head coach Niko Kovac to speak out on the matter, and in defence of his new signing.

As quoted by the continental title, he said: "I understand the questions, but we're at BVB, and at BVB there's a lot of competition and quality in the team. I know what he can do; he's 19 years old and new to us. So we don't need to write anything that's totally unimportant. What's crucial is that we perform well as a team; everyone has a part in that."

Sporting director Kehl added: “We have tried very hard to get him and we don’t need to talk about him every three days. In the end, we have a very, very large squad that gives the coach several options.”

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