Sunderland must brace for Jobe Bellingham activity as fresh transfer link revealed: Opinion
It was somewhat to be expected, but Bellingham Jnr is being courted by some big European clubs just a few months into his time
Jobe Bellingham, the younger brother of Jude Bellingham, is impressing at Sunderland with his advanced physique and regular game-time.
Borussia Dortmund, who signed Jude Bellingham, are reportedly scouting Jobe and looking to replicate their success with his brother.
Sunderland should resist any big offers for Jobe as they can build a team around him, and a sale to a top European club may be inevitable in the future.
At the age of 20, Jude Bellingham is already a worldwide phenomenon in football and he has legitimate claims of being one of the world’s best players at this current moment in time.
It has been a meteoric rise for the young midfielder, who just over four years ago made his senior debut for Birmingham City at the age of 16 and has simply not looked back since.
Three years at Borussia Dortmund saw him primed to become a Real Madrid player this past summer, where he is currently dominating and he’s also a mainstay in the England starting 11 now.
The Bellingham bloodline is clearly talented though, as just under two years younger is his brother Jobe, who is on the path to try and emulate his elder sibling by playing competitive first-team football at a young age.
Jobe’s path has been different to Jude’s however – not long after turning 16, Jude was playing week in, week out in the Championship for Birmingham after playing for the under-23’s of the Blues at the age of 15.
Before he turned 16, Jobe had been included in a couple of Birmingham matchday squads, but he did make his debut a couple of months after his 16th birthday – but he would only play seven matches for Lee Bowyer and John Eustace between the age of 16 and 17.
Birmingham were keeping Jobe grounded and steadying his development and despite having physical attributes just like Jude did at a similar age, he needed to be more refined and more patience was needed, hence why the majority of his 23 appearances last season came from the bench.
Jobe Bellingham’s Sunderland career so far
Since he signed for Sunderland in the summer though, Bellingham’s development has accelerated thanks to regular game-time provided by Tony Mowbray.
Mowbray has put faith in the 18-year-old, who has started in all 12 Championship matches so far for the Black Cats, scoring twice and assisting once.
And there are signs of the older Bellingham brother in Jobe when he plays, with his physique looking more advanced than most 18-year-old’s that take to the pitch in the EFL.
Naturally, with how well he is playing and developing at the Stadium of Light, plus the fact he is Jude Bellingham’s brother, scouts were always going to be watching how Jobe got on, and there are said to be some massive teams watching.
And none more-so than Borussia Dortmund, who took Jude to Germany in 2020 and some three years later, they are now said to be scouting Jobe, according to Corriere dello Sport of Italy.
What should Sunderland do if big bids come in for Jobe Bellingham?
The link makes sense – now that Jobe is showing his skill-set on a regular basis at Championship level, Dortmund wanting to try and replicate what they did with Jude is just natural.
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However, with Jobe said to be on a four-year contract at Sunderland, it’s going to take a lot of money for a club to prize the talented teenager away from Mowbray’s side.
And why should Sunderland cash in? They are not exactly skint and Bellingham is a player that they could build a team around for the next few years – and clearly that is already what is happening as he’s starting week in, week out.
At some point, should Sunderland not make it back to the Premier League in the near future and Bellingham continues to develop at a rate of knots, then a sale to a top European club is inevitable, but for now the Wearsiders should stay firm and not be tempted by any big offers in January when there could be even bigger ones next summer or in 2025.
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