Jobe Bellingham has been urged not to leave Sunderland for the Premier League.
But not in the way Sunderland fans would hope. Instead, Real Madrid are eager to see the midfielder move to Ligue 1 or Bundesliga, according to Defensa Central.
Jobe Bellingham was not quite as sought after as his brother when he left Birmingham City in the summer, and so the Black Cats managed to snap him up for £3 million.
The teenager has been exceptional since arriving at the Stadium of Light, starting all 16 games in the Championship and netting three goals – including the opener against his former club last time out.
Jobe has also been impressing with England U19s, and it was on international duty where Real Madrid reportedly sent scouts to watch him last month.
While the 18-year-old continues to attract interest from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Los Blancos are now reportedly eager for him to join another club before he links up with Jude in Spain.
Real Madrid aren’t looking to sign Jobe just yet, but haven’t ruled him out as a player for the future.
However, Carlo Ancelotti’s side are eager for him not to move to the Premier League, as they feel that it would be ‘impossible’ to sign him from the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool. Instead, they have urged him to join the Bundesliga or Ligue 1 – but not Paris Saint-Germain – so then a future move to Madrid would be more ‘negotiable’.
Will Jobe follow in Jude Bellingham’s footsteps to Real Madrid?
Jude’s path via Borussia Dortmund clearly worked wonders for him and he eventually sealed a huge move to the Santiago Bernabeu, which could potentially encourage his younger brother to follow a similar journey.
It would be very surprising if Jobe actually wanted to do as Jude did though. The midfielder already changed the name on the back of his shirt so he could be his own player, rather than being associated with the 2023 Golden Boy. So, to practically replicate Jude’s career would be unusual for him.
While Jobe is an excellent footballer, he would always be in Jude’s shadow if he eventually joined Real Madrid. The 18-year-old is far from the player Jude is, but is certainly capable of playing in the Premier League eventually.
It will be interesting to see where he ends up once he has endless offers at his door, however he would be smart to stick on Wearside for now. He definitely isn’t ready for the step up just yet.