The midfielder is set to be in demand this summer
When it came to the fee they asked for Jobe Bellingham during the summer transfer window, Sunderland made the right choice.
That’s according to Sunderland supporter Jack Austwicke of Football League World, who is optimistic that the midfield player will stay at The Stadium of Light for the upcoming campaign.
Bellingham only joined the Black Cats for the 2018–19 season, reportedly paying £1.5 million to leave Birmingham City, their Championship rivals at the time.
With seven goals in 47 appearances across all competitions during his stellar rookie season, the 18-year-old is already drawing interest from many Premier League teams.
| Jobe Bellingham 2023/24 Championship stats for Sunderland – from SofaScore | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 45 |
| Goals | 7 |
| Shots perGame | 1.2 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Pass Success Rate | 87% |
| Tackles per Game | 1.3 |
| Balls Recovered per Game | 3 |
| Duel Success Rate | 47% |
Sundland seems to have responded to it by asking for Bellingham, which might be well received by their fan base.
Commentator for Sunderland responds to Jobe Bellingham’s appraisal
According to reports, Tottenham of the Premier League has gotten in touch with a possible move for Bellingham.
Crystal Palace and Brentford, two more elite teams, have reportedly expressed interest in the midfield player this summer.
In reaction, rumour has it that Sunderland will demand a minimum of £20 million in order to sign Bellingham in the forthcoming transfer window.
In view of the premier league’s interest in Bellingham, the Black Cats seem to be keen to retain him for the upcoming campaign.
It appears that Austwicke is pleased with his team’s decision to adopt that approach and thinks it will be sufficient to keep the midfield player with the team through the summer.
He acknowledges, though, that it has made him ponder how much the club could want for Jack Clarke, another player who has drawn interest from rival teams.
The Sunderland supporter responded as follows to a question from Football League World about whether he believes the club is right to demand £20 million or if they have overvalued him:
“It’s a reasonable price, I believe, but it seems to be saying, ‘If we want £20 million for Jobe Bellingham, then what in the world do we want for Jack Clarke, who is currently a player five times over?’
“But really, we’ve only had a year with Jobe; he still has a lot of work ahead of him and has demonstrated a high level of class and performance.
Occasionally erratic, but I believe that’s to be expected for an 18-year-old entering a competitive league. To be honest, I don’t think he would be wise to go, and I would be sad to see him depart so soon. I believe he would be better off playing in the Championship again.
But that is still up in the air. We won’t let him go, in my opinion. He seems content to stay for the time being, but we’ll be very strict to keep him.”
A four-year contract with the Black Cats was reportedly announced last summer, guaranteeing Bellingham’s stay at the Stadium of Light through the end of the 2026–2027 campaign.
Six points above the relegation zone, Sunderland finished the previous season in 16th place in the Championship table.
After Michael Beale was fired in February, they have yet to appoint a long-term managerial successor.
The Black Cats’ position on Jobe Bellingham is correct.
It certainly seem like Sunderland is taking a reasonable stance in raising their offer for Bellingham.
The midfielder, who is still only eighteen years old and has lots of time to gain experience, had a promising debut season at The Stadium of Light in 2023–2024.
Therefore, if he stays with the Black Cats for a few more years, he does have the potential to develop into a very useful asset.
That naturally implies that if he does go on, they would want to obtain value for their money, and £20 million would enable them to do so.
Additionally, it would guarantee that they have enough cash on hand to bolster the remainder of their team while the window is open.
According to reports, Dave Challinor is one of three candidates to take over as manager of the Stadium of Light.
They are also not under any obligation to sell Bellingham this summer in order to keep him for nothing due to his contract circumstances.
They can therefore feel comfortable asking for a price that some might consider high for a player in the midfielder’s circumstances.
Considering all of that, it makes sense that supporters of Sunderland may be happy to see their team provide this kind of value for Bellingham.
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