“£12-15m” - Jobe Bellingham claim made amid latest Sunderland exit talk | OneFootball

Sunderland should be looking for an eight-figure fee for the sale of Jobe Bellingham in the summer transfer window.

That's according to Carlton Palmer, who has questioned whether this would even be the right time for the teenager to leave the Stadium of Light.

Bellingham only joined the Black Cats last summer, signing from Championship rivals Birmingham City on a permanent deal.

Since then, the 18-year-old has enjoyed an impressive debut campaign in the North East. He has so far scored seven goals and provided one assist in 43 appearances in all competitions.

Even so, Sunderland have been unable to replicate their run to the Championship play-offs from last season, and instead look set for a mid-table finish.

Despite that, Bellingham himself still looks to be attracting plenty of interest from elsewhere, with the transfer market now moving back onto the horizon.

Lazio eyeing Jobe Bellingham

According to recent reports from The Daily Mirror, Serie A side Lazio are keen to sign Bellingham in the summer.

The Italian giants are said to be looking to the Championship for potential bargains in the market, and have identified the Sunderland man as a possible target.

However, Palmer believes that the Black Cats still ought to be looking for a big profit if they are to sell Bellingham before the start of next season.

Palmer makes Jobe Bellingham fee claim

It was reported that Sunderland paid a fee in the region of £3million to sign Bellingham from Birmingham last summer.

The 18-year-old signed a long-term contract with the club. As a result, Palmer has questioned whether this would be the right time for him to leave the Stadium of Light, when he could benefit from further development with Sunderland.

However, he admits that the sale of Bellingham may reflect the Black Cats' current setup, even if fans may not like that.

Regardless of that, Palmer is adamant the Championship club will have to try and earn a much bigger fee for Bellingham than they paid for him if they are to let him go in the near future.

When asked by Football League World what the Sunderland man is now worth considering what they paid for him, the former England international said: "He's had a fantastic season, he's a huge talent. Sunderland paid £3million for him from Birmingham City last summer. So I think it's a bit early for Jobe to go, but that's the platform that Sunderland work with.

"If they can get him out the door now for £10-15million then I'm sure they will do and that will help them rebuild and bring in other young players, that's the format that they've set out.

"Disappointing for the Sunderland supporters because last season under Tony Mowbray this young team were in the play-offs and only two games away from being promoted to the Premier League and that would've been back to back promotions. "So it's amazing how things change very quickly since Tony Mowbray left the football club and, obviously, with things not going well at the moment at Sunderland, they're looking to bring a new manager in so maybe Jobe will want to move on. "But certainly £3million they paid for him, they'll be wanting £12-15million to let him go. I think he should stay and keep playing regular football for at least another season.

"If Sunderland can get the right appointment for next season, then they could be up there challenging for promotion."

Sunderland should demand big money for Bellingham

It does feel hard to argue with this assessment of the situation from Palmer in all honesty.

Bellingham has been a key player for Sunderland throughout the course of the season, and it would be a blow for them to lose him so early on his career, when he could still be an asset for some time.

Given he signed a long-term contract with the Black Cats last summer, there is also no need for them to sell him in the transfer window.

As a result, they will surely have to demand a big fee for the teenager, to justify any potential departure.

It could also be argued that as Palmer says, Jobe Bellingham is perhaps not quite ready to make the impact at quite the same level as his brother Jude is just yet.

That could mean that a move to a club such as Lazio may not work out for him, and he could struggle to get the opportunities he is at the Stadium of Light.

With that in mind, Sunderland may want to set a high asking price that could tempt Lazio to back away from a move, for the good of both the club and the player.