Sunderland Nation

Are Sunderland making a move for Jobe Bellingham?

A fresh report linking Sunderland with Birmingham youngster Jobe Bellingham has emerged.

Michael Graham

Are Sunderland making a move for Jobe Bellingham?
Are Sunderland making a move for Jobe Bellingham? /

Sunderland are one of three clubs vying to sign teenage Birmingham star Jobe Bellingham, according to reports.

The 17-year-old younger brother of England midfielder Jude Bellingham made his first start for the Blues this season against Sunderland after signing his first professional deal.

According to TEAMtalk, a move for Jobe Bellingham is ‘on the cards’ due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the club’s ownership.

The report mentions Sunderland, Newcastle and Middlesbrough as the clubs seriously looking at him, although Birmingham are surely going to be reluctant sellers.

If that is the case, Newcastle would likely be in pole position for him given their spending power, although Sunderland would have an ace up their sleeve in coach Mike Dodds.

Dodds was previously with Birmingham and is very close to the Bellingham family having played a key role in the development of Jude. He is a figure the Borussia Dortmund star has always been keen to credit too. 

“I’ve got to keep trying to represent the people that made me,” Jude Bellingham said during the World Cup.

“You can see the way I play is very free and I do things that feel natural, and that is because of the way he (Dodds) made me feel as a kid. He coached me in important areas when he needed to, but a lot of the time he made me feel free.

“All the lads can talk about people who brought the same thing for them that Mike did for me.”

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman was also a key figure at Birmingham in terms of youth development, so much so that Jude Bellingham and his family were guests at Wembley when the Black Cats beat Wycombe in the League One play-off final in May.

Jude Bellingham sent Speakman a public message of congratulations when he was appointed too, further highlighting the close relationship between key figures within the Sunderland set-up and the Bellingham family.

This is also not the first time Sunderland have been linked with Jobe Bellingham either, Reports that included the player visiting the Academy of Light, first emerged just before the play-off final.

Jobe Bellingham’s contract at Birmingham does not expire until 2024, and he has not made the same splash that his brother did. Then again, who does? Perhaps it is just an easy link to make too given the Mike Dodds and Kristjaan Speakman links, too.

It will be an interesting one to follow, though. 

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Michael Graham
MICHAEL GRAHAM

Michael Graham is a professional sports writer with more than ten years of industry experience. After pursuing football writing by helping establish the Roker Report Sunderland AFC fansite, Michael moved to Planet Sport to cover football.  Michael has since worked on many of the sports sites within the Planet Sport network, including Football365, TEAMtalk and Planet Football before leaving to join 90min. As well as football, Michael is an accomplished tennis writer and has been regularly featured on Tennishead, TennisBuzz and Tennis365. It is football that is his first love, though, with Sunderland AFC his particular passion.  Contact: michael@buzzpublishing.co.uk

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