On Sunday, it was reported by Spanish outlet El Nacional that European giants Real Madrid have sent scouts to keep tabs on Sunderland’s star midfielder Jobe Bellingham.
Unless you have been living under a rock, Los Blancos secured the signing of his brother, Jude, during the summer transfer window from Borussia Dortmund for over £100 million and the England international has hit the ground running at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Jude has managed to score ten goals in his first ten appearances in all competitions for the 14-time Champions League winners, including eight in La Liga, which is more than football icon Cristiano Ronaldo managed in his first season with the club.
However, Jobe Bellingham is having an excellent season in his own right as Sunderland currently sit fourth in the Championship with less than a quarter of the campaign played.
His form has alerted scouts from Real Madrid who are hoping to strike gold with a potential brotherly midfield partnership in the near future.
El Nacional have claimed that Real Madrid’s president Florentino Perez personally asked Chief Scout Juni Calafat to send scouts to watch the 19-year-old for England’s U21s against Montenegro last week.
But is Jude as good as Perez is hoping? According to his stats this season, gathered from FBref, the signs point towards a resounding ‘yes’. When compared to all midfielders from the Championship so far in the 2023/24 season, Jobe Bellingham stands out from the crowd.
The Sunderland starlet is in the top nine percent for non-penalty goals scored per 90, the top seven percent for non-penalty expected goals (xG) per 90 and the top twelve percent for shots per 90, proving how dangerous Bellingham is in the final third.
Adding to these impressive numbers, Jobe is in the top ten percent for touches in the attacking third per 90 as well as the top 16 percent for progressive passes received per 90.
FBref defines a progressive pass as [via St Louis City SC]: “one that moves the ball 10 yards (30 feet) closer to the goal than it’s been recently or any completed pass into the opponent’s penalty area.”
But it’s not just Bellingham’s attacking stats that stand out. The youngster has proven himself to be a menace when Sunderland are on the backfoot, helping the Black Cats to boast the fourth-best defensive record in England’s second-tier.
Jobe is in the top five percent for block’s per 90 this season, the top three percent for passes blocked per 90 and also the top seven percent for clearances per 90. Furthermore, he is averaging 1.46 tackles per 90 as well as 0.84 interceptions per 90.
Writer’s View
Jobe Bellingham can do it all, much like his brother. At the ripe age of 19, he is already one of the best midfielders in the Championship so it’s no surprise that Real Madrid are interested in his signature.
However, for now, Bellingham is better off staying at the Stadium of Light to continue developing and earning valuable minutes in a strong side who are pushing for Premier League promotion.
Deputy Head of Writing
