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Liverpool Set to Miss Out on Bellingham Again After Transfer Snub
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Sunderland are poised to sign Jobe Bellingham from Birmingham, a year after Liverpool inquired about a possible transfer to Anfield.
Jobe Bellingham, the younger sibling of Borussia Dortmund and England international star Jude Bellingham, is expected to transfer to Wearside after an impressive first full season of senior football.
This season, the 17-year-old has made 22 Championship appearances, adding to the two he made in the previous season.
Despite links to Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester City, Jobe is expected to secure a contract with Sunderland in a deal worth approximately £3 million.
The younger Bellingham, born in 2005, will travel to the North East within the next 10 days to finalize his transfer to the Black Cats.
This is a significant setback for Liverpool’s hopes of acquiring the teen’s services, as they requested to be informed of his contract situation at Birmingham in May 2022, after he had only recently broken into the first team.
Since then, Jobe has become an indispensable member of the Blues despite their difficulties off the field.
Bellingham’s Sunderland Performance Earned Youngster Move
Under John Eustace, he made five Championship appearances, including one against Sunderland that impressed the club’s hierarchy at the Stadium of Light. He played nearly one-fifth of his total minutes against the Black Cats, starting one and coming off the bench in the other.
Although Jobe has not scored or assisted for Birmingham this season, he has shown glimpses of his potential as a top player. His versatility enables him to play in a variety of midfield positions, as well as on the flank and up front.
Tuesday’s loss to Luton in the semi-final of the play-offs prevented Sunderland from being promoted to the Premier League.
Tony Mowbray’s side lost 3-2 on aggregate and will return to the second division next season, while Luton and Coventry will meet at Wembley in the richest game in English football.
The Black Cats can take comfort from their performance and the manner in which they qualified for the playoffs with a young, talented, and inexperienced squad.
Last season, the average age of the Sunderland squad was just 22.5 years old, the fourth-youngest in their long and illustrious history.
Amad Diallo, Joe Gelhardt, Dennis Cirkin, Dan Neil, and Jack Clarke are among the Black Cats’ under-22 players who have excelled this season.
In truth, the team’s oldest senior player is 32-year-old Danny Batth, and Alex Pritchard, 30 years old, is also a member of the so-called experienced group.
This could give Jobe and his representatives hope that he will have opportunities to play regular first-team football for a club that is likely to compete for promotion next season. Jobe is a member of the England Under-18 team at the international level.
After coming so close this year, Mowbray will no doubt have plans for his young Sunderland side to go all the way next season and earn promotion to the Premier League.
In signing Bellingham, the club look to have continued their strategy of signing youth with potential, however they may also need to look at signing some more experienced players if they are to mix it with the division’s best in 2023/24.
