Sunderland star Jobe Bellingham is in high demand. Following his debut season on Wearside, Sunderland youngster Jobe Bellingham is attracting interest from a rising number of Premier League clubs. The 18-year-old appeared in all but one of his team’s Championship games in 2023/24, scoring seven goals. Bellingham also played in several positions, including central midfield, attacking midfield, and even as a number nine. He only moved to the Black Cats from Birmingham City last summer. But it already appears that he could be on the move, with Tottenham Hotspur among the clubs interested.
In addition to Spurs, Brentford and Crystal Palace are interested. Spurs, however, have made the first contact with Sunderland on a prospective deal for Bellingham. The Black Cats are reportedly seeking £20 million to leave Bellingham this summer. Jobe Bellingham can learn from Jack Clarke’s mistakes. Bellingham’s Sunderland teammate Jack Clarke was once linked with an exciting move to Tottenham Hotspur, with the Londoners paying Leeds United £10 million for the now-Black Cats star in 2019. Unfortunately, the move did not work out. Clarke would only make four first-team appearances for Spurs, none of which were in the Premier League, before moving to join Sunderland on a permanent basis in 2022.
Spurs spent £10 million for Clarke, whom Sunderland later signed for much less. Clarke is now worth up to £20 million, and he, like Bellingham, has alternatives for the summer. However, the Clarke example demonstrates to Bellingham that a huge move at such a young age isn’t necessarily the answer, and that Spurs may not be the best club either; they were hesitant to give Clarke much of an opportunity but may now regret it after seeing how well he’s done with Sunderland.
The position Jobe Bellingham should take on Sunderland’s departure amid Tottenham Hotspur links If Bellingham has any say in the matter, he should consider staying at Sunderland for another season. It will undoubtedly be tempting to take the first Premier League opportunity that comes his way. However, the Clarke case demonstrates that moving up to the top division too quickly can actually harm a player’s growth. Clarke has worked his way back up the levels, even staying at Sunderland for the 2023/24 season despite Premier League interest, owing primarily to the club’s refusal to accept the offers.
Clarke has improved significantly as a result. Bellingham, with another season of Championship football under his belt, has the potential to become a significantly better and more valued player. So Bellingham has every motive to want to stay at Sunderland, and the club wants to keep him for another year. At the moment, £20 million appears to be an optimistic asking price. He is still very young and inexperienced, and there were times in the 2023/24 season when Bellingham was quite unproductive. But playing so much football will have prepared Bellingham for a far more hopeful 2023/24 season, and playing regular football again next season will allow him to progress even further.
Spending it in the doldrums at Spurs or on loan somewhere unfamiliar does not seem like the best next step. It’s entirely up to Sunderland, who have a number of players available this summer, including Clarke and Bellingham.
