Sunderland transfer update emerges on Birmingham City player

Sunderland will “almost certainly” continue negotiations with Birmingham City until a deal for Jobe Bellingham is complete, according to Birmingham World.

The teenager is seemingly a top target for the Black Cats this summer but with his contract at St Andrew’s not expiring this summer, Tony Mowbray’s side have been forced into negotiations with their Championship rivals for his services.

The Wearside outfit’s sporting director Kristjaan Speakman has a good relationship with the Bellingham family from his time at Birmingham – and could be key to getting a deal over the line this summer.

Jobe Bellingham deal stalls

It had previously been reported that the England youth international was on the verge of making the move to the Stadium of Light.

However, the Daily Mail have claimed that the Black Cats will need to raise their offer from £1m if they want to secure his services. And at this stage, it’s unclear whether a potential deal has moved to a more advanced stage.

Jobe was spotted at the Stadium of Light during the latter stages of the 2022/23 campaign, potentially indicating that he’s actively considering a switch to Birmingham’s second-tier rivals.

But until a fee is agreed, there’s no chance of a deal being sealed.

What’s the latest on Jobe Bellingham’s potential move to Sunderland?

Birmingham World believe the Black Cats are extremely keen to get this deal over the line and will “almost certainly” continue negotiating with John Eustace’s side until they see the teenager in their famous red and white stripes.

The same outlet, along with others, also believes the 17-year-old has been tracked by Mowbray’s men for over a year now and that comes as no surprise considering they reportedly invited Bellingham and his family to their home ground last April.

Although a fee may not have been agreed yet, Sunderland’s persistence may make a move to Wearside inevitable for Bellingham this summer.

Are Sunderland taking the right stance?

Although he isn’t grabbing the headlines like his older brother Jude, Jobe Bellingham should still be given a lot of respect for managing to break into Birmingham’s first team at such a young age.

Not looking out of place in the second tier, it will be interesting to see whether he manages to secure a decent amount of first-team football under his belt if he does make the switch to the Stadium of Light.

With Edouard Michut departing, that could allow Bellingham to secure a place in the matchday squad, although it’s unclear whether he will be able to force existing first-teamers out of the starting lineup.

The fact he operates in a more advanced midfield role could work in his favour though, with Amad Diallo’s departure potentially allowing him to force his way into the starting lineup.

And the fact he could potentially become a valuable first-teamer straight away makes this deal worth pursuing for the Black Cats.

He could easily be sold for a very healthy profit in the future, so they shouldn’t stop negotiating anytime soon. Mowbray’s side are certainly taking the right stance.