EXCLUSIVE: Lazio target second Sunderland youngster ahead of expected summer bid

Italian giants Lazio have identified the Championship as a great source of young talent, and that has led them to Sunderland.

Lazio are eyeing a double summer raid on Sunderland, with them adding Jobe Bellingham to their list of targets, Sunderland Nation can exclusively reveal.

The Italian giants had the strongest interest of any club in Jack Clarke in January, making two offers for the winger in the final couple of days of the January transfer window.

They were unsuccessful, with their €16million bid rejected, but Sunderland Nation understands it was also accompanied by an enquiry for Jobe as well.

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Lazio have identified the Championship as a good market to find young talent, so it will come as no surprise that has led to a special interest in Sunderland, a club who prioritise player development.

The Black Cats were able to quite comfortably reject Lazio’s attempts to sign Clarke, largely due to the terms coming nowhere near a figure that would tempt them but also because they still harbour hopes of promotion to the Premier League this season.

If Sunderland are still in the Championship next season, though, Lazio are expected to be back in the summer – and armed with a bigger budget.

Their main problem with regard 18-year-old Jobe will be persuading him that he would continue to play regular football.

Due to his obvious potential, as well as a headline-grabbing family name, Jobe has a lot of suitors in European football. Real Madrid are among them, with the Spanish giants keen to reunite him with brother Jude Bellingham.

However, Jobe wants to play football, and Sunderland are currently offering the opportunity to do that.

He has started all but one of the Black Cats’ games this season and offering him regular football was a key reason why Sunderland were able to sign him from Birmingham in the first place last summer.

That won’t stop other clubs from trying to get him though, with Premier League clubs Tottenham and Chelsea also holding a strong interest.

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