Sancho, Bellingham and Co.: The English starlets Ethan Nwaneri is hoping to emulate at Borussia Dortmund
Ethan Nwaneri has admitted to jumping at the opportunity to join Borussia Dortmund on loan from Arsenal on transfer deadline day, but the English teenager will also know he has a lot to live up to at Signal Iduna Park.
Nwaneri, 19, becomes the fifth Englishman aged 21 or under to sign for Dortmund in the last decade, after Jadon Sancho, Jude and Jobe Bellingham, and Jamie Gittens.
Attacking midfielder Nwaneri will be desperate to emulate the success of his compatriots, some of whom set the bar very high indeed…
Watch: Why did Nwaneri choose Dortmund?
Jadon Sancho (2017-2021, 2024)
Sancho lit up the Bundesliga during his first stint at BVB, making his debut at the age of 17 and going on to register 53 goals and some 60 assists in 158 competitive outings across two separate spells.
In the top flight alone, the winger racked up 40 goals and 45 assists from only 118 appearances following his arrival from Manchester City. A DFB Cup winner in 2021, Sancho was the highest-scoring Englishman in Bundesliga history until September 2024, when Harry Kane netted his 41st league goal for Bayern Munich.
His numbers during a loan spell from Manchester United in the second half of the 2023/24 season were not quite as prolific, but his reputation as a Dortmund legend remains firmly intact.
Watch: Sancho’s top five Bundesliga goals
Jude Bellingham (2020-2023)
The first of the Bellingham brothers to swap England for Dortmund, former Birmingham City midfielder Jude enjoys similar status at BVB after transforming into one of the world’s best midfielders during his time at the club.
Only 17 when he joined Dortmund, Bellingham wasted little time in establishing himself as an indispensable member of the Borussia first team. He even found the net on his competitive debut in the DFB Cup, becoming the competition’s youngest ever scorer as Dortmund went on to lift the trophy.
But his most memorable campaign in Schwarz-Gelb came in 2022/23, when he registered eight goals and four assists en route to being named Bundesliga Player of the Season. “I came to the club as a talented lad, but I’ve added elements to my game that have taken it to the next level,” said the now Real Madrid star.
Watch: Jude Bellingham’s magic moments
Jamie Gittens (2021-2025)
Like Sancho, Gittens joined Dortmund from Manchester City’s youth academy. He soon made a name for himself with the club’s U19s, scoring six goals in five appearances to help the BVB youngsters reach the UEFA Youth League quarter-finals in 2021/22.
His efforts at youth level were rewarded with a first Bundesliga appearance in April 2022, which was quickly followed by a first Bundesliga goal on Matchday 2 of the 2022/23 season - only four days after his 18th birthday.
Gittens helped Dortmund reach the UEFA Champions League final in May 2024, but the 2024/25 campaign was his most productive in a Borussia shirt as he registered 17 goal involvements (12 goals, five assists) across all competitions, prompting Chelsea to make a move that summer.
Watch: Jamie Gittens on fire for Dortmund
Jobe Bellingham (2025 - ?)
Jobe’s Dortmund career to date has taken a different trajectory to that of his older brother, but 12 months on from his move from Sunderland the 20-year-old is already a key part of Niko Kovač’s side.
He was mainly used off the substitutes’ bench during the first few months of last season but started 15 of Dortmund’s 17 Bundesliga games in the second half of 2024/25, forming a fruitful partnership with Felix Nmecha at the heart of Borussia’s midfield.
Bellingham is determined to kick on this season, telling reporters back in July: “I’ve played a lot of games in my career. I’m not a young kid anymore. I feel like I can step up, improve, and do even more with the experience I’ve got.”
Watch: ’I can do even more’ - Bellingham
Nwaneri explains his Dortmund decision
