Sunderland tipped for relegation after multi-million deal sanctioned by Le Bris
Sunderland may have won promotion to the Premier League this season, but the first thing the summer transfer window brought was a loss.
Having played a big part in Sunderland’s promotion this term, it’s no surprise that Jobe Bellingham was attracting interest throughout the campaign.
After the Black Cats beat Sheffield United at Wembley Stadium, there could have been the possibility of Bellingham staying put for life in the Premier League.
However, the 19-year-old flew out to Germany almost immediately after the final and has now signed for Borussia Dortmund.
Simon Jordan offers Sunderland advice
The task of retaining a position in the Premier League becomes a harder task every season, with all three newly promoted sides coming straight back down once again.
With that in mind, Regis Le Bris has plenty of work to do this summer to get his side in the right shape to have a chance of survival.
Losing Bellingham isn’t the best start when it comes to achieving that task, but having earned a club record fee of £27.8million could be crucial in helping the Black Cats build.
Furthermore, there have been some suggestions that Sunderland have benefited more from this deal, with the figure paid a big one for a 19-year-old in the Championship.
When asked live on talkSPORT (11 June, 2:42:04) who is getting the better end of the deal, Simon Jordan admitted that Sunderland’s fate now lies in their own hands.
He said: “Sunderland have lost a player that was instrumental in them getting promoted.
“They will have achieved £30million, it’s how they deploy that £30m which will end up answering the question who’s getting the better side of the equation.
“If he’s a loss to them, then the £30m they got from this will be caveated by potential relegation, not that he would be the only reason they stay in the division.”
Sunderland have to reinvest wisely
Bellingham will feel like a massive lost to those at the Stadium of Light, especially after the performances he delivered throughout the season.
However, the club record fee that the Black Cats have earned is not a bad deal at all and is money that could be crucial for Sunderland’s progress as a club.
As Jordan says, though, it is all about reinvesting the money wisely.
| Season | Apps | Goals | Assists |
| 2024/25 | 43 | 4 | 3 |
| 2023/24 | 45 | 7 | 1 |
| Total | 88 | 11 | 4 |
Le Bris built a brilliant second-tier side last summer, but he has to make sure that what he adds has the ability to make a difference to the side’s chances of survival, as well as making sure they remain a nice side to watch.
Lennon Miller is an early name as a replacement for Bellingham, with Le Bris looking at the next young stars.
If the boss can strike the right balance of experience and youth with the money he now has to invest, he will put Sunderland in a strong position.
A move to the Bundesliga is hard to turn down, but if Sunderland were to survive in the Premier League, they could certainly feel as though they have benefited from the deal just as much as the other side, if not more.