It has been known for a while that Sunderland would have to fight to keep hold of their star players, and Jobe Bellingham is now one of three talents Crystal Palace want to steal away.
Sunderland are flying this season and appear to be on track for promotion under Regis Le Bris. But, the only downside to the Black Cats progress is that other clubs are paying attention to their success.
The Sunderland squad is full of exciting young talent, with Jobe Bellingham among the finest of them all. Indeed, the rumour mill has not stopped spinning when it comes to the 19-year-old, but he is not the only one linked with a move away from the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland’s transfer activity this month may well end up including some departures as well as arrivals, as much as the fans would hate to lose their key players.
Crystal Palace plotting bids for Jobe, Chris Rigg, and Trai Hume
According to a report from TBR Football, Crystal Palace could be plotting a triple-raid on Sunderland, with Jobe, Chris Rigg, and Trai Hume all being targeted by the Eagles.
Jobe is thought to be the top target for the Premier League strugglers, and they are keen to make a bid early in order to beat out competition from other clubs like Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, and Real Madrid this month.
While Sunderland are naturally desperate to keep hold of Bellingham, the fact that Regis Le Bris is looking to sign new players this month could mean the club decides to cash in on one of the Championship’s most valuable players.
That could well open the door for Palace to replicate the success of their move for Adam Wharton just a year ago, when they snapped up the former Blackburn Rovers midfielder in a £22m deal.
Is selling Jobe really worth the sacrifice for Sunderland?
While some have suggested Sunderland could bring in up to £30m for Jobe, it’s hard to imagine a world where selling such a key player — especially at this stage of the season — would make any sense for the Black Cats.
With Sunderland chasing promotion to the Premier League right now, it would not be in their best interests to weaken the squad, no matter how much money a potential deal could bring.
Admittedly, it’s highly unlikely Jobe’s long-term future will be at Sunderland, but for now, he is surely more valuable to the club by sticking around than by cashing in.
If Sunderland can get promoted this year, they may even be able to keep hold of Jobe (and other key players) for another season as they can offer a taste of the top flight to their wonderkids.
One thing’s for sure, we know Bellingham loves it at Sunderland, so there’s a good chance he would not be pushing for a January move, which puts the ball firmly in the club’s court moving forward.