Sunderland: Jobe Bellingham can follow in their brother’s steps
Jobe Bellingham has some way to go to match brother Jude, but he can further his career by making a move to Championship rivals Sunderland.
In the week Jude Bellingham’s £115m transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid moved a giant step closer, another member of the talented footballing family could also be on the move.
Sunderland has been linked with Jude’s younger brother Jobe for a number of weeks now, and Birmingham World reports that the Black Cats will not give up on negotiations until an agreement can be reached with Birmingham City.
Who is Sunderland’s target, Jobe Bellingham?
Like brother Jude, Jobe emerged through Birmingham’s youth ranks and into the first team at a young age. However, whereas the older of the siblings made a £25m switch to Dortmund at 17, Jobe is only just establishing himself in City’s first team.
The Stourbridge-born midfielder made his senior debut for City in January 2021 and, after remaining patient for his chance, he appeared 22 times in last season’s Championship campaign as the Blues finished 17th.
But while Jude broke the record for being Birmingham’s youngest player and goalscorer, Jobe is on a different path, albeit one that could also culminate in him joining an elite club further down the line.
As then-City boss Lee Bowyer put it previously, “Whenever he steps on the pitch now everyone is going to expect him to be like his brother.
“Don’t do that to the lad. It’s not fair on him. He’s going to be his own player, himself. We believe he will be good.”
Is Jobe Bellingham ready for Sunderland move?
Far from having a nine-figure valuation like his brother, Jobe could be available for as little as £3m, as previously cited by football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Given his relative lack of matches at the senior level, there is still an unknown nature about the youngster’s game, though those who have seen him up close can already see comparisons with Madrid-bound Jude.
“His ability to keep the ball is very Jude-esque,” said a member of the Blues Focus team in an interview with Roker Report. “His size for such a young lad is also very reminiscent of when Jude was starting at Blues.”
That aerial ability has been put to good use, with Bellingham winning 2.06 aerial duels per 90 minutes last season – only two other regular Birmingham midfielders registered a higher tally.
Indeed, that figure places Bellingham in the top 6% among his positional peers over the past year, while he is in the top 1% for clearances (1.47 per game), showing he clearly has a talent for the defensive side of the game.
Adding goals and assists to his game will take Bellingham to the next level, having failed to register a single-goal involvement in his 22 – mainly substitute – appearances in the Championship last season. That should not deter the Black Cats from moving, though, who will no doubt benefit from his arrival.
Indeed, in an exciting Sunderland team boasting talents such as Jack Clarke and Ross Stewart in attack, Bellingham can take his own – albeit lower profile – a step towards future stardom by putting pen to paper at the Stadium of Light.
