£15m+ Deal: Sunderland to land major jackpot from serie A clubs competing over ‘top’ striker.

£15m+ Deal: Sunderland to land major jackpot from serie A clubs competing over ‘top’ striker.

The midfielder has enjoyed an excellent debut campaign with the Black Cats

In the summer transfer window, Sunderland should aim to sell Jobe Bellingham for an eight-figure sum.

Carlton Palmer, who has questioned if now would even be the appropriate moment for the teenager to depart the Stadium of Light, says that.

Bellingham only signed a permanent contract with the Black Cats last summer, coming from Championship rival Birmingham City.

The 18-year-old has since had a fantastic first season in the North East. In 43 games across all competitions thus far, he has seven goals and one assist.

Jobe Bellingham club career record – stats from Transfermarkt
Club	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Birmingham City	26	0	0
Sunderland	43	7	1
As of 12th April 2024

Nevertheless, Sunderland appears destined for a mid-table finish after failing to duplicate their run to the Championship play-offs from the previous campaign.

In spite of this, Bellingham appears to be drawing a lot of attention from other places, and the transfer market is starting to heat up again.

Lazio eyeing Jobe Bellingham

The Daily Mirror has reported that Lazio, a Serie A team, is eager to recruit Bellingham in the summer.

The Sunderland player has reportedly been identified by the Italian powerhouses as a possible target as they scour the Championship for possible deals.

Palmer thinks that if the Black Cats are going to sell Bellingham before the 2019–20 season begins, they should still be aiming for a significant profit.

Palmer makes Jobe Bellingham fee claim

Bellingham was signed by Sunderland from Birmingham last summer at a rumored fee of over £3 million.

The 18-year-old and the team agreed on a long-term deal. Palmer has questioned whether leaving the Stadium of Light at this moment, when he may get more development with Sunderland, is the best decision as a result.

Even though some supporters might not like it, he acknowledges that the Black Cats’ current configuration may be reflected in the sale of Bellingham.

Palmer, however, is certain that if Bellingham is going to leave the Championship club anytime soon, they will need to attempt and get a far higher price for him than they did when they signed him.

When asked by Football League World what the Sunderland man is now worth considering what they paid for him, the former England international said: “He’s had a fantastic season, he’s a huge talent. Sunderland paid £3million for him from Birmingham City last summer. So I think it’s a bit early for Jobe to go, but that’s the platform that Sunderland work with.

“If they can get him out the door now for £10-15million then I’m sure they will do and that will help them rebuild and bring in other young players, that’s the format that they’ve set out.

“Disappointing for the Sunderland supporters because last season under Tony Mowbray this young team were in the play-offs and only two games away from being promoted to the Premier League and that would’ve been back to back promotions.

“So it’s amazing how things change very quickly since Tony Mowbray left the football club and, obviously, with things not going well at the moment at Sunderland, they’re looking to bring a new manager in so maybe Jobe will want to move on.

“But certainly £3million they paid for him, they’ll be wanting £12-15million to let him go. I think he should stay and keep playing regular football for at least another season.

“If Sunderland can get the right appointment for next season, then they could be up there challenging for promotion.”

Sunderland should demand big money for Bellingham

To be honest, it is difficult to disagree with Palmer’s assessment of the circumstances.

Bellingham has been a vital member of Sunderland’s team this season, and his departure at such an early stage of his career, when he may still be useful for some time, would be devastating.

There’s also no reason for the Black Cats to move him during the transfer season, since he signed a long-term contract with them last summer.

They will therefore undoubtedly need to demand a high price for the teenager in order to cover the cost of his possible departure.

Another argument would be that, contrary to Palmer, Jobe Bellingham isn’t quite ready to have the same kind of influence as his brother Jude just yet.

This could imply that he wouldn’t be successful in a transfer to a team like Lazio and would find it difficult to take advantage of the opportunities available to him at the Stadium of Light.

For the benefit of the player and the team, Sunderland might wish to offer a high enough price to entice Lazio to reconsider making a move.

Get more related news on https://sportviewers.com