Italian giants Lazio are the latest club to register an interest in Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham, according to Sunderland Nation.
The 18-year-old only made the switch to the Stadium of Light last summer, joining from Championship rivals Birmingham City for an undisclosed fee believed to be between £1.5 – 3 million. He has been an ever present for the Black Cats since, featuring in all-but-one of their 30 league games.
With four goals, the youngster’s form has already caught the eye of a number of Premier League clubs, with Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur all accredited with interest. Unsurprisingly, 14-time Champions League winners Real Madrid are also believed to be keeping an eye on his development after signing brother Jude Bellingham last summer in a deal which could rise up to £115 million.
The England under-19 international is under contract with the Wearsiders until 2027 and is said to be enjoying life in the North East. However, Sunderland are bracing themselves for major interest in the summer, with one more club adding their name to the list.
Lazio spent the winter transfer window trying to prise attacker Jack Clarke from the grasp of the six-time English champions. They saw two bids rejected, the latter which reached £14 million, with sporting director Kristjaan Speakman refusing to do business.
The attacker is seen as pivotal to Michael Beale’s promotion hopes and has hit a career-best 13 goals this season. With former club Spurs said to be due up to 25% of any fee generated, Sunderland are holding out for north of £20 million.
According to Sunderland Nation, Lazio also enquired for the services of Bellingham during their pursuit of Clarke but were knocked back. It is claimed that the Serie A side are expected to return again in the summer.
Plymouth Argyle visit the Stadium of Light tomorrow afternoon as Bellingham and co. hope to return to the top six. They currently sit eighth, although they are just one point behind Hull City in that all-important final play-off spot.
Writer’s View
It seems inevitable that Jobe Bellingham will follow somewhat in his brother’s footsteps and secure a move to one of the European heavyweights in the coming years. However, he would do well to follow Jude’s example from his spell at Borussia Dortmund and stay put for another couple of years to further aid his development.
If he continues on the same path as he has this season, he will remain a target for several clubs and he should be in no rush to move on. Furthermore, Sunderland are desperate to return to the Premier League. That’s an exciting project to be involved with at this stage of his career.
Head of Writing