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Edin Terzic has not discussed the future with Jude Bellingham and is focusing on improving the midfielder – along with Borussia Dortmund’s latest ‘next big thing’ in Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.
Bellingham is set to be the most sought-after player in Europe when the transfer window opens at the end of the season.
Liverpool have been widely linked with the England international but are set to face competition from rivals in the Premier League and Champions League.
Dortmund have not given up hope of keeping Bellingham, sporting director Sebastian Kehl said this week, but that is not head coach Terzic’s concern.
“He still has a long-term contract with us, and I never spoke about that with him,” Terzic told The Telegraph.
“The only thing we talk about is improving his performance and to try to push him to find his limits. The rest – there will always be rumours, especially if you are a young, talented English player not playing in England.”
Terzic is not yet sure of that limit – “he can achieve everything if he stays hungry,” the coach added – but he is confident Bellingham will not be the last young player to trust Dortmund with his development.
Indeed, Bynoe-Gittens, another English teenager, left Manchester City for Dortmund in 2020 and broke into the BVB first team at the end of last season.
This season, winger Bynoe-Gittens has played just 281 Bundesliga minutes, but he has scored three goals – all as a substitute – and provided five secondary assists in that time.
Dortmund sit just three points behind leaders Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, and they come up against Chelsea in the Champions League on Wednesday.
“We have to produce the next big thing,” Terzic said. “It’s our way, and you see it started with Ousmane Dembele and Christian Pulisic, who stepped into this role, and then we created our own chain reaction.
“When you are ready to sign Jadon Sancho, he sees that Ousmane Dembele had a great time at the club. Then it makes it a bit easier to sign Erling Haaland.
“If you have Erling, you sign Jude, and if you have Jude, it’s easier to sign Jamie.”
Terzic is comfortable discussing Bynoe-Gittens in that company, adding of the 18-year-old: “Every time he’s on the pitch, he’s capable of making the difference, and at 18, it’s something special to do that.
“We are sure he’s going to be the next one we enjoy on the pitch.”
