Chelsea join Real Madrid in transfer battle for Sunderland starlet | OneFootball

Sunderland probably weren't expecting to be dealing with some of football's superpowers being interested in one of their players in the upcoming January transfer window, but that is exactly what is happening.

There are plenty of talents within the Black Cats squad thanks to their recruitment of young players that are normally ready for first-team football.

One name is standing out among the rest though right now and it isn't Jack Clarke despite his 10 goals so far this season - it's Jobe Bellingham.

The Bellingham name is quite obviously hot on everyone's lips as Jude is taking the world by storm, with 17 goals already for Real Madrid to his name in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.

Two years his junior though, younger brother Jobe is also proving to be a real hit at Sunderland since his summer move from Birmingham City, and unsurprisingly it appears that other clubs are looking to make a move for the 18-year-old before it is too late.

Reports have emerged for weeks now that Spanish giants Real Madrid want to re-unite the Bellingham brothers in the Spanish capital, with a report from Sport over the weekend claiming that they are very seriously looking into the possibility of that transfer.

However, there are also Premier League clubs that now have Bellingham junior on their radar, and one of those is Chelsea, who despite spending obscene amounts of money since Todd Boehly's takeover are in the market once more for fresh faces.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, the Blues are now tracking Bellingham once again with a view to potentially making a move for the starlet, who is getting on the scoresheet at Championship level.

Bellingham, who signed for Sunderland in a £3 million deal over the summer, is on a long-term contract at the Stadium of Light, but it may take a significant figure to get the Wearside club to sell up so soon after his arrival - the ball-park figure could be in excess of £20 million.

Bellingham not ready for top level move yet - but may be in 12 months time

Considering they are both primarily midfielders, even though Jude said his sibling is more like a thoroughbred striker like their father, the Bellingham brothers will always be compared a lot, but Jobe is not as advanced in his development than Jude was.

Jude was starting Championship matches week in, week out at the age of 16, whilst Jobe, having just turned 18 in September, is in his first season of really making a strong impact in matches.

That is why the talk of a move to one of European football's powerhouses like Real Madrid needs to be quashed for now as Jobe would not be ready for such a switch - he needs to at least finish the season out at Sunderland and perhaps even have another half of one to really see what level of football he is at by the age of 19.

Clubs should not rush into doing a deal for Bellingham just so they can get there first, although Chelsea's scattergun approach will probably mean that they will submit a bid in January if they really fancy taking a punt on Jobe's potential.