Jobe Bellingham: Spurs and Real Madrid chat is intriguing but Sunderland focus needs to be there | OneFootball

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Jobe Bellingham is one of the standout teenage talents in the Championship.

The midfielder made the switch to Sunderland during the previous summer transfer window, signing from Birmingham City in a deal worth a reported £3 million.

The 18-year-old has naturally attracted a lot of attention in the early stages of his career given the success his brother Jude has already achieved in his career.

The older Bellingham is already competing for Real Madrid, and could be considered one of the best players in the world based on current form.

The England international has set a high bar for his brother to try and match, but the younger Bellingham brother has shown no signs of struggling under the weight of that pressure.

The £3 million price tag hasn’t slowed down his development, with the Sunderland player immediately making an impact at the club and becoming a key part of Tony Mowbray’s first team squad.

Should Sunderland be concerned about Jobe Bellingham attracting transfer interest?

It has been reported that Real Madrid are keeping tabs on the youngster, although they have no immediate plans to make any offers to Sunderland for the play.

The Spanish giants have every reason to be keen given they have seen up close just how special a talent Jude is, signing him for £88.5 million last summer.

Premier League side Tottenham have also expressed an interest in signing the teenager, just months after he arrived at the Stadium of Light.

It remains to be seen what kind of asking price Sunderland will place on the future of Bellingham, but they could feel quite justified in charging a big premium, all things considered.

However, the club also has to be wary of the impact all of this transfer noise might have on the player.

It is difficult to handle such pressures at that age, so Sunderland must protect him in order to avoid hampering his development.

Bellingham could become a top talent, but outside distractions could have negative consequences for his career.

Just as Mowbray needs to manage his game time for the sake of his physical health, the veteran coach also needs to protect him from the outside pressures that come from this kind of attention for the sake of his mental health.

Could Jobe Bellingham play for Real Madrid?

Of course, Bellingham is also a high value asset that could earn the club a massive fee in the near future if he continues developing at such a rapid rate.

So there is obviously a financial incentive to take good care of him as well, which the Black Cats will be well aware of.

But Bellingham could also be Sunderland’s ticket back to the Premier League themselves, with the player already contributing three goals and one assist from 16 league appearances in the team.

The talent and potential he possesses is rare to come by at this level, making it a shrewd move to have signed him from Birmingham when they did.