Jobe Bellingham exit bombshell as Sunderland plan ready
Jobe Bellingham finally looks set to leave Sunderland.
Sunderland's preparations for life back in the Premier League have been surrounded by doubt, with several players already linked with exits.
The 19-year-old has been the subject of interest of many Premier League and Bundesliga clubs, with Bellingham even flying to Germany to hold potential transfer talks.
Now, it has gone one step further.
Bellingham to follow in Jude's footsteps
The Black Cats' triumph at Wembley is seemingly not enough to keep Bellingham at the Stadium of Light.
Florian Plettenberg has now reported that the midfielder has decided to join Borussia Dortmund, informing other interested clubs of his intention.
Sunderland are set to begin negotiations with Dortmund shortly, with their star midfielder being valued at around £25million.
| Jude Bellingham | Stats whilst at Borussia Dortmund |
| Appearences | 132 |
| Goals | 24 |
| Assists | 25 |
| Honors | 2020/21 DFB Pokal |
Jobe appears to be following in the footsteps of his brother Jude, who also made his name in the Championship before moving to Dortmund to further his development.
If Bellingham does join the five-time Bundesliga champions, then naturally, comparisons between him and his brother will ramp up even further.
Sunderland should look to cash in
Regis Le Bris has had rumours of his star midfielder leaving surrounding him for weeks now.
With Bellingham's head undoubtedly turned from the interest, facilitating a sale as quickly as possible would allow Le Bris to focus on making additions to his squad for next season.
Jordan Henderson has been linked with a return to the Stadium of Light to replace the England Under-21 international, with his experience a valuable asset to an otherwise youthful squad.
Negotiating a high fee for Bellingham is critical for Sunderland, with Birmingham City set to receive a portion of the deal for their academy graduate.
The money raised on the back of a sale would be a sizeable addition to Sunderland's transfer pot, as the Black Cats look to defy the odds and stay in the Premier League.
It's a sad end, but at least it ended in promotion.