Southampton join Brentford and Crystal Palace in Sunderland star pursuit | OneFootball

Southampton have joined other Premier League teams in taking an interest in Sunderland starlet Jobe Bellingham, according to the Sunderland Echo.

The Saints will be in a stronger negotiating position to sign players this summer following their promotion back to the top flight at the first time of asking, with Russell Martin's team taking advantage of a poor Leeds United performance to win the play-off final on Sunday.

And it wouldn't be a surprise to see plenty of movement at St Mary's this summer, with Taylor Harwood-Bellis already joining permanently in a reported £20m deal.

Players could also move away from the south-coast side, with Che Adams and Paul Onuachu both being linked with exits from the club.

With this in mind, adding more quality to their final third could be one of their priorities, and they have already been linked with moves for some attacking players.

Armando Broja is believed to be on their list of targets - and the Black Cats' star Jack Clarke is also thought to be in their sights following promotion.

Clarke has been a real asset on the left-hand side since making a loan move during the 2022 winter window - and has taken his game to a new level since joining permanently a couple of years ago.

Another Black Cats star is also now reported to be on their radar.

Latest on Jobe Bellingham amid Sunderland exit links

According to the Sunderland Echo, the Wearside club are yet to receive any bids for Bellingham.

Several Premier League teams are thought to be interested in the 18-year-old though, with Crystal Palace just one of a number of clubs eyeing a move for him ahead of the summer window.

Despite "significant" interest in the player though, the Black Cats are in a strong position to retain him, with the player signing a long-term contract when he joined last year.

Sunderland should be looking to retain Jude Bellingham

Bellingham has only spent a year with the Black Cats - and it would be a shame for them if they lost him in the coming months.

It's not as if the 18-year-old only played a minor role for the Wearside club last season either, with the player establishing himself as a regular starter, scoring seven goals in all competitions in the process.

Considering he played a key part last season, he would be a big miss if he did leave.

Clubs may be willing to pay a sizeable amount for him this summer, but with another season of game time under his belt next term, his valuation could increase considerably.

Selling him now may not allow the Black Cats to secure as much as they can for Bellingham, so it may be a shrewd decision to hold on to him for now.

And his attacking quality will be required if Clarke departs. If both go, adequate replacements will need to be recruited.