German club "pushing hard" to sign Job Bellingham from Sunderland AFC - it's not Borussia Dortmund | OneFootball

The 19-year-old is attracting continental levels of attention.

Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham is wanted by Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, with the latter said to be "pushing hard" for a summer move for the teenager.

Bellingham has delivered on the standards set by his brother before him and has become a star in his own right. Jobe isn't at the world-renowned point that Jude is, but it is clear for all to see that this young man is a special, special talent.

Sunderland bought him for a reported fee of around £1.5 million two summers ago from his hometown club, Birmingham City - money well spent by any estimation.

He was one of the standouts in a poor Black Cats team in the 2023/24 campaign and has continued that stellar level into this season, helping the Wearsiders reach the play-offs, where they will face Coventry City at the CBS Arena on Friday in the first leg of their semi-final contest.

Jobe Bellingham wanted by top German clubs

Regardless of how Sunderland do in the post-season, there's a good chance that Bellingham will be playing in a top European league next term. He could well follow the path of his brother and head for Germany as two of their biggest sides, Dortmund and Leipzig, are keen on the 19-year-old, according to Florian Plettenberg.

The German journalist has stated that the two Bundesliga sides are "in the race" to sign Bellingham, with Leipzig appearing to be the more keen party. He previously reported that they had held initial talks about a move for the Sunderland man but felt, at the time, that he would be too expensive for them.

It has been reported that the Black Cats value their player at £20 million - £5 million less than Dortmund paid Birmingham for his brother in 2020.

As well as the German interest, Crystal Palace and Manchester United are also said to be in the Bellingham race, according to Graeme Bailey.

Sunderland will be in a tough Jobe Bellingham position this summer

Sunderland's best chance of keeping Bellingham, whose contract runs until the summer of 2028, at the Stadium of Light past this summer is to win the play-offs. That way they can offer him top flight football and a bunch of guaranteed minutes that he might not get if he went to a more established club.

The problem is that everyone knows Sunderland's model is based on being a selling club. That's why they let Jack Clarke leave last summer to go to Ipswich Town, and it will be the same going forward. They buy young and cheap players, develop them into potential stars and then sell them on for a profit.

This openly acknowledged position is going to make their position on selling Bellingham weaker, because clubs like Dortmund, Leipzig, Palace and Man United know that the Black Cats are ultimately looking to cash in that massive profit.