Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham is the subject of heavy interest from Premier League side Crystal Palace reports Fabrizio Romano on Twitter (X)..
The former England under-18 international started his career at Birmingham City and he made his first-team debut for the Blues aged just 16 in the 2021/22 season.
In the 2022/23 season, the central midfielder began establishing himself in the Birmingham first-team, making 22 appearances in the Championship for his boyhood club.
Although he did not register a goal, his performances were good enough to warrant an ambitious Sunderland side to pay £1.5 million to bring the young midfielder to the North-East.
The 18-year-old was an ever-present for Sunderland in the 2023/24 season, making 45 league appearances and scoring seven league goals for the Black Cats. He was also called up to Will Antwi’s England Under-19 side in September 2023 and has since made five appearances for his country at that level.
Crystal Palace appointed Oliver Glasner in February 2024 as the Eagles embarked on the start of a progressive new era in South London and they were one of the form teams at the end of the 23/24 Premier League season. This has left fans optimistic heading into the new campaign and under Glasner, there’s certainly plenty of optimism.
With a proven track record at developing young talent signed from EFL clubs, just look at Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, a move to the Eagles could allow Bellingham to really progress in the top flight. He’ll no doubt cost a rather significant fee but being just 18, the sky truly seems to be the limit for the youngster.
Writer’s View
Being the younger brother of Real Madrid’s Jude, Jobe Bellingham has undoubtedly found it hard to forge his reputation in his short career to date. A move to the Premier League with an ambitious yet stable side in Crystal Palace will give him a great opportunity to prove that he is more than just Jude Bellingham’s little brother.
As for Sunderland, losing one of their bigger investments from last summer will not be ideal, but the money they could potentially gain from selling Bellingham could be very useful. The Black Cats had a clear weakness last season as they did not have a goalscorer up front. This extra money could allow the Wearside giants to sign a proven goalscorer and push for automatic promotion next season.
