Birmingham City tease sensational Jude Bellingham return - as Blues unveil plans for £1.2bn super stadium

Jude Bellingham could make a sensational return to Birmingham City when their new 62,000 stadium becomes reality, claims chairman Tom Wagner. 

Wagner floated the idea as he unveiled plans for a new £1.2billion ground he believes will propel Blues – currently in the Championship – to the top of the global game.

The stadium, which is to be known as the Powerhouse Stadium and is expected to carry a naming-rights deal, is due to open in 2030. Home-grown midfielder Bellingham left Blues in 2017 for Borussia Dortmund and is now a world superstar with Real Madrid and England.

‘I think Jude is the greatest player on the planet today and we haven’t seen anywhere near his full potential yet,’ said Wagner, who persuaded Bellingham to be part of the promotional videos for the stadium. 

‘Not just as a player, but also what he can do for a community, what he can do as a leader.

‘If we can provide him with a platform to achieve his full potential, well that’s a great story. It’s a great Birmingham story, it’s a great England story and a great homecoming story.’ 

When Bellingham left Birmingham five years ago, he had completed a single season in the Championship and had only just turned 17.

Yet so great was his impact that Birmingham ‘retired’ the No 22 shirt he wore in that campaign. Back then, they would never have imagined he could wear it again.

But since Knighthead takeover, which is backed by NFL icon Tom Brady, Blues have shown dizzying ambition. Wagner believes it is a matter of when, not if, they reach the Premier League, even though they are only 11th in the Championship after 15 games.

‘The ground will definitely have a naming-rights deal, ideally before we even put a shovel in the ground,’ said Wagner. ‘We have an ambition to host any and all events, like NFL, international global football for men and women.

‘[We expect it to be] the most environmentally-sound stadium that will ever be built. Maybe we look like modest lunatics to be [unveiling these plans] while we are in the Championship but we feel very good about where we are.

The launch took place at the Digbeth Loc studios in central Birmingham, the production hub for hit TV show Peaky Blinders and Steven Knight, the show’s creator, has been a major influence behind the stadium idea.

Wagner added that the development would ‘change this city forever’ and that it would be usable 365 days a year.

The ground is part of a wider £2.5-3billion Sports Quarter, which should feature houses, shops, offices, hotels and other entertainment facilities.

Wagner added: ‘We are putting the city and the club on a trajectory towards greatness. It will be a place where the world’s best want to perform.’