"Man Utd will surely go back in for him" - Sunderland AFC: "£50m+" Jobe Bellingham prediction issued | OneFootball

FLW's Sunderland fan pundit believes Jobe Bellingham will command a hefty transfer fee if he is sold.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham has been a key player under Regis Le Bris as the Black Cats have put themselves well in contention to win promotion back to the Premier League.

After an underwhelming 16th place finish during the 2023/24 campaign, and following a long search for a new head coach in the summer, not many people would have expected Sunderland to perform quite as well as they have done in the Championship so far this season.

The Black Cats have kept up with the pace set by Leeds United, Sheffield United and Burnley, with their impressive victory over Middlesbrough last night having taken them back within five points of the league-leaders after 30 games.

Sunderland have back-to-back games at the Stadium of Light against Watford and Luton Town ahead of them, as they remain entirely focused on league action while a couple of their promotion-rivals play in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup this weekend.

Teenage midfielder Jobe Bellingham will be hoping to continue his good form during what is set to be a hugely important few months on Wearside, and his long-term future could depend on the outcome of Sunderland's push for promotion to the Premier League.

Bellingham urged to see out Sunderland contract

We asked our Sunderland fan pundit, Jordan Newcombe, whether he thinks Bellingham will stay at Sunderland if the club makes a return to the top-flight.

"I think to start off with, yes, I do think he will," said Jordan.

"Clubs will be thriving to sign him. I'm pretty sure Man Utd will surely go back in for him, Real Madrid will go in for him, Dortmund - all these teams will go in for him, and it just begs the question of, if he does leave, how much will he be going for?

"In my opinion, if we go up he is at least £50m+, and right now I think he is worth about £35 million plus, but if we do go up, it will be hard to keep him.

"He has got a contract until 2028, which I think he should see out at Sunderland - stay until 2028 and go from there.

"It is a hard thing to determine with players like Jobe. At first, I am going to say yes, but later in the transfer window it is going to be harder to keep him.

"If the price is right, I am sure the club will try and sell him. In my opinion, I would definitely keep him, because he has been great, and I know he will be great in the Premier League."

Bellingham has already attracted top-flight interest

If Bellingham is the subject of transfer speculation during the summer transfer window, then it will be nothing new for the 19-year-old, as he has been linked with a number of clubs since last summer.

Scouts from Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen have watched the midfielder this season, while Manchester United have also been linked with a move for him, and it would be no surprise if other clubs registered an interest ahead of the summer transfer window, especially if the Black Cats are unable to achieve promotion from the Championship.

It will be interesting to see whether Bellingham stays at Sunderland beyond this season, but any hope of him staying at the Stadium of Light could depend on which division the club is playing in next term.