"Pay Wolves what they want" - Sunderland AFC sent clear Tommy Doyle demand amid Jobe Bellingham exit fears | OneFootball

FLW's Sunderland fan pundit has urged the club to sign Tommy Doyle if Jobe Bellingham leaves in the summer

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 have been lauded for their reported transfer pursuit of Wolves' Tommy Doyle, who could represent a replacement for Jobe Bellingham if the midfielder leaves the Stadium of Light this summer.

According to a recent report from The Sun's Alan Nixon - via his exclusive Patreon service - Sunderland are keeping tabs on the ex-Cardiff City and Sheffield United loan star ahead of a potential transfer.

Doyle previously starred for the two sides in the Championship before earning a loan move to Wolves from Manchester City in the summer of 2023, which was then made permanent for a reported £4.3 million figure. The 23-year-old has made 19 appearances in the Premier League this season, although just three of those have been starts as he received interest from Chris Wilder's side during last month's transfer window.

Now, he's seemingly on Sunderland's radar as they scour for a potential Bellingham replacement.

The teenage prodigy has long been the subject of speculation and it has recently emerged that Sunderland will reluctantly accept a significant offer in the summer if they fail to gain promotion, amid interest from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and Borussia Dortmund.

Verdict offered on Sunderland AFC's transfer interest in Wolves' Tommy Doyle

FLW asked our Black Cats fan pundit, Jordan Newcombe, if he believes Doyle would be an ideal potential replacement for Bellingham. Jordan expressed his eagerness to see the former England youth international on Wearside come the summer, should Bellingham depart.

"I have seen Tommy Doyle play a few games and I do rate him, he's a decent centre midfielder," Jordan told FLW.

"Obviously he would be the replacement for Jobe if he does go. If we can try and bring Doyle in - if Jobe goes - that would be a decent swap.

"We won't be paying as much as how much we would be selling Jobe for, which would be even better as we would still have money left over to get players in, that's where we could potentially use the money from Jobe to get Doyle and Chris Mepham in on permanent deals.

"I like how we're looking towards next season now and thinking what players do we need to get and will suit the system. Looking at Doyle, I do rate him and I have rated him at his previous clubs.

"If he's going to be the replacement for Jobe, I'm glad we've spotted that replacement straight away instead of waiting God knows how long in the transfer window. So the future is looking bright, if Jobe does go I would happily bring Doyle in.

"I'm not sure how much for. Obviously Wolves signed him for £4.3 million but he has played a lot and impressed, he has been wanted by clubs recently.

"If Jobe does go, I'd say bring him in and pay Wolves what they want, pay what he wants wages-wise.

Sunderland AFC lauded for transfer strategy

Jordan also took time to laud Sunderland for planning ahead with their business instead of waiting until the summer.

Of course, there are many moving parts and any potential move for Doyle would surely be dictated by their divisional status and whether Bellingham stays put, but Sunderland are third in the Championship with a strong chance at gaining promotion either automatically or through the play-offs, meaning they are right to look into moves which could only be possible upon returning to the top-flight.

Jordan believes this strategy will put Sunderland in good stead, and planning in advance with Doyle could prove to soften the blow of potentially losing Bellingham.

He added: "If we get promoted, this team is going to turn massively.

"A lot of the teams in the Premier League may think Sunderland aren't going to beat the odds and will go straight back down, but if we keep trying to get players like this in, who says we can't survive relegation or be from 12th-16th in the league, which I would happily take.

"We're not going to be top ten or absolutely fly like Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth are. If we go up and manage to stay up for a season, that's great.

"The fact we're looking at players straight away is decent and we're not even looking at silly players either. We're looking at top players.

"That's the best thing that I'm reading about Sunderland so far. I'm glad we're looking more into it and the club is going in the right direction, right now we're focusing on trying to get up and these signings would be unbelievable to get."