How Sunderland AFC feel about Jobe Bellingham's exit - Kristjaan Speakman has confirmed it | OneFootball

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman has broken his silence on midfielder Jobe Bellingham's move to Borussia Dortmund.

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman has admitted the club are disappointed by Jobe Bellingham's exit, but he thanked the midfielder for his service and wished him well at Borussia Dortmund.

Bellingham joined Sunderland from Birmingham City for a fee of just £1.5 million in the summer of 2023, and he went on to enjoy an impressive two-year spell at the Stadium of Light.

The 19-year-old scored four goals and provided three assists in 43 appearances in all competitions last term to help the Black Cats win promotion back to the Premier League for the first time in eight years, and he was recognised for his contribution as he was named Championship Young Player of the Season.

Just days after his side's play-off final victory, Bellingham travelled to Germany to hold talks with Eintracht Frankfurt, but he has instead decided to follow in the footsteps of his brother Jude and join Borussia Dortmund, and the Bundesliga outfit have paid an initial fee of £27.8 million, with Sunderland potentially receiving a further £4.2 million in add-ons in the future if certain conditions are met.

The deal represents a club-record sale for the Black Cats, who have also included a 15% sell-on clause in the agreement, and Bellingham will receive a significant wage increase at Signal Iduna Park, with the midfielder believed to be set to earn around £70,000-a-week.

Kristjaan Speakman reacts as Jobe Bellingham departs Sunderland

Speakman admitted that Sunderland are frustrated to be losing Bellingham, but he insisted the midfielder is leaving with the club's best wishes, and he claimed that the deal is a vindication of the Black Cats' transfer strategy.

"I had no doubts that Jobe would develop with us at Sunderland," Speakman told the club's official website.

"He has an unrelenting commitment to improvement that only the very best possess, and his progression is clear for all to see.

"Less obvious are the sacrifices and the challenges along the way, and I couldn’t be prouder of how he’s conducted himself and embraced the Club, the community, and our supporters.

"He’s lived and breathed Sunderland every step of the way. For our Club, it’s another representation of the strength of our strategy and what’s possible. Jobe wanted to create his own story, be part of a new Sunderland, and make a lasting impact.

"He achieved all of this, and although we are naturally disappointed to lose a player of Jobe’s quality, everyone at SAFC wishes him well in this next stage of his journey."

After news of his departure was confirmed, Bellingham took to social media to send an emotional farewell message to Sunderland supporters, claiming that he will always "love and remember" the club and describing himself as an "adopted Mackem".

Kristjaan Speakman deserves credit after Sunderland's club-record Jobe Bellingham sale

Some Sunderland supporters may be disappointed by Bellingham's departure, particularly after the club won promotion to the Premier League, but his exit felt inevitable this summer regardless of the outcome of the season, and it would have been tough for him to turn down a club the size of Borussia Dortmund.

Just as they did with the likes of Jack Clarke, the Black Cats signed Bellingham for a minimal fee and are now selling him on for big money, which again highlights the potential rewards of the club's transfer strategy of signing young talent with a high ceiling.

It has not always been a successful policy for Sunderland, and Speakman and owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus have come in for criticism at times for not recruiting enough experience, but the pair got it spot on last season, and they deserve plenty of credit for their decision to bring Bellingham to the Stadium of Light.