Sunderland starlet Jobe Bellingham is attracting the interest of Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur following a breathtaking start to life at the Stadium of Light, according to Football Insider.
The 18-year-old headed to Wearside from Championship rivals Birmingham City for a fee of £3 million in the summer after following in the footsteps of brother Jude at St Andrew’s. Breaking through the academy setup, the versatile attacker made 26 appearances for the Blues before Sunderland came knocking and has impressed in his debut campaign.
He has been an ever-present in Tony Mowbray’s side and scored his third goal of the season in the 3-1 win over Birmingham City last weekend. His performances have caught the eye of a number of potential suitors, with Sunderland club legend Niall Quinn one of many to have lauded the teenager in recent months.
Last month, the manager compared the youngster to his superstar brother, who is currently La Liga’s top goalscorer following his big-money summer move to European galactico’s Real Madrid:
“He is very mature for his age. He acts like a seasoned pro, and demands standards even in small sided games he wants to win. You can see he has a very focused driven thought pattern on where he is going and how he is going to get there. And that is to try to be excellent in everything you do. It’s a great mentality. He is not in the team because of his name, it is football ability and his competitive edge and athleticism and technique.
“He works hard every day. As coaches we want to protect him in three game weeks so sometimes when he comes off it is to give him a break. We should just enjoy the journey with him and see where he gets to as time rolls on. He doesn’t want to be compared with his brother, but we have coaches here who helped his brother as a 17-18 year old. They can gauge where he is, and he has some amazing tools. If he listens, works hard and competes like he does he won’t go far wrong. He has confidence and belief and has a good football brain.”
It is said that a number of Premier League and Bundesliga clubs are watching with intent, but Football Insider claim that Tottenham Hotspur have had Bellingham regularly assessed by club scouts as they watch his development with keen interest.
He signed a four-year contract with the Championship promotion contenders in June, meaning Sunderland could be set for a huge windfall should they decide to cash in. However, they will be hopeful that they can retain his services for as long as possible, especially should they return to the Premier League themselves.
Writer’s View
With Jude Bellingham elevating himself to one of the world’s leading players, culminating in this week’s Golden Boy triumph, it’s only natural that his brother is going to attract interest from leading clubs. Jobe is a player who has all the attributes needed to follow in his sibling’s footsteps, but he will be in no rush to secure his own big-money transfer.
Sunderland are a club on the rise and it looks to be just a matter of time before they are once again dining at the top table. Alongside the likes of Jack Clarke, the Black Cats are building a quality squad and one that should secure at least a play-off place this season. The younger Bellingham looks destined for the top, but time is on his side.
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