Southampton have joined the race to sign this emerging Championship star.
Southampton have a growing list of summer transfer targets following their promotion to the Premier League, with Leonardo Bettencourt the latest name on the list.
Reports coming out of Germany claim that the Saints have offered attacking midfielder Bettencourt a lucrative deal to move to St Mary’s this summer.
Elsewhere, Russell Martin could bring back two former Southampton players in Adam Lallana and Danny Ings, with Sunderland star Jack Clarke another name wanted by the Saints.
Southampton may well have to spend big this summer if they’re to avoid an immediate relegation, and avoiding falling into the cycle of constant promotions and relegations.
And with it being Martin’s first season managing in the Premier League, he’ll know that he needs to add star quality to the side in order to beat the drop.
But expect an eye to be on the future, too. And that might be the thinking behind Southampton’s emerging interest in Jobe Bellingham.
Southampton join transfer race for Jobe Bellingham at Sunderland
Brother of England and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, Jobe Bellingham has just capped an impressive maiden season with Sunderland.
He joined the Black Cats from Birmingham City in a £3million deal last summer, going on to score seven goals and assist one more in 45 total Championship outings.
Since the end of the season, the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Brentford, and Crystal Palace have all been linked, with Palace thought to be in talks over a potential summer deal for the 18-year-old.
But Sunderland Echo add that Southampton are also interested in a possible deal for the Englishman.
Memorably, Bellingham scored a curling ranged effort against Southampton in a 4-2 Saints win vs Sunderland at St Mary’s earlier this year.
Can Sunderland win transfer race for Jobe Bellingham
Bellingham is certainly hot property now, and rightly so after his impressive first season with Sunderland in the Championship.
Although he had spells out of form, overall, he was a great addition for the Black Cats, showing his nouse in front of goal and also his versatility.
Bellingham played in a number of positions; as a no.9, a no.10, and even as a central midfielder, with his physical stature making him ideal for the rigours of the Championship.
There may still be doubts about whether or not his technical game could suffice in the Premier League, but links to Palace, Brentford, and Dortmund should tell us all we need to know.
That, and Bellingham is still only 18 years old, and bound to get better and better with each passing season.
But expect Sunderland to want at least an eight-figure sum for Bellingham though. He’s got a lot of potential and widespread interest will only boost his transfer value.