Sunderland told what stance to take on Jobe Bellingham with fresh price tag claim
Journalist Michael Graham has told Sunderland what stance to take on Jobe Bellingham, amid interest from Crystal Palace.
Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham, 18, has become a key target for Crystal Palace this summer, with the Eagles looking to replace Michael Olise.
The former Reading youngster is bound for Bayern Munich and Palace are tipped to raid the Championship for an emerging talent once again.
The Eagles have previously signed names like Olise, Eberechi Eze, and Adam Wharton from the Championship.
But it looks like a move for Bellingham is proving slightly more difficult, with Sunderland having knocked back offers from Crystal Palace already this summer.
It’s claimed that Sunderland will only sell Bellingham for £20million this summer, following his £3million move from Birmingham City last summer.
Now, Michael Graham has given his verdict on the matter, suggesting a new, potentially much higher price tag for the England U20 star.
Sunderland told what stance to take on Jobe Bellingham amid Crystal Palace interest
Sunderland owners have earned praise for their reluctance to sell players at the first sign of interest from the Premier League.
The club knocked back offers from the likes of Burnley for Jack Clarke last summer and have subsequently seen his transfer value rise.
It comes after Clarke enjoyed another standout season in the Championship, and Graham has urged Sunderland to take the same course of action with Bellingham this summer.
Graham has suggested that Bellingham could be worth between £30-40million next summer, should he show improvements in the Championship next time round.
Can Sunderland realistically charge £40million for Jobe Bellingham amid Crystal Palace links
Crystal Palace are proving to be very shrewd operators in the transfer market, enjoying a lot of success when shopping in the Championship.
But Palace usually like to sign players from the second tier for no more than £20million and so if Bellingham were to become a £30-40million player next summer, it would likely be a top team buying him.
He’s had links to Tottenham Hotspur this summer. They might be more inclined to pay £40million for Bellingham should he enjoy another standout season next time round, having previously spent the same amount on James Maddison when he was technically a Championship player with Leicester City last summer.
So there’s reason to believe that Sunderland could sell Bellingham for £40million, which would make him the club’s most expensive player sale of all time, following the sale of Jordan Pickford to Everton for a reported £30million fee in 2017.
