Sunderland are set to sign Jobe Bellingham from Birmingham - a year after Liverpool made contact with the teenager over a potential move to Anfield.
Jobe, younger brother of Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham, is expected to make the switch to Wearside following an impressive first full season in senior football. The 17-year-old has made 22 Championship appearances this term, adding to the two he made during the 2021/22 campaign.
Despite being linked with a move to Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester City amongst others, Jobe is set to sign a contract with Sunderland in a deal worth around £3million. Jobe, who was born in 2005, will travel up to the North East within the next 10 days to complete his move to the Black Cats.
This is a major blow in Liverpool's hopes of securing the teenager's services after they asked to be informed of his contract situation at Birmingham in May 2022, having only just broken through into the first team. Since that point, Jobe has become an important member of the Blues side despite their struggles off the pitch.
He made five Championship starts under John Eustace, including one against Sunderland where he impressed the hierarchy at the Stadium of Light. In total, almost a fifth of his minutes came versus the Black Cats, after starting one and coming off the bench at half-time in the other.
Although Jobe hasn't grabbed any goals or assists at Birmingham this season, he showed glimpses of what a top player he could become. He is able to play across multiple positions in midfield and can also play on the wing or up front, with his versatility a major string to his bow.
Sunderland missed out on promotion to the Premier League after defeat against Luton in the play-off semi-final on Tuesday. Tony Mowbray's side went down 3-2 on aggregate and will be back in the second tier next season, with Luton and Coventry set to go head-to-head at Wembley in English football's richest game.
The Black Cats can take heart from their performance and the way they managed to get into the play-offs, using a youthful side with talent and inexperience at senior level. The average age of the Sunderland side last season was just 22.5 - the fourth-youngest in their long, illustrious history.
Amad Diallo, Joe Gelhardt, Dennis Cirkin, Dan Neil and Jack Clarke were amongst the players aged 22 or below to impress at the Black Cats this season. In fact, the oldest senior player in the squad is 32-year-old Danny Batth, with Alex Pritchard also in the so-called experienced group.
This could give Jobe and his representatives optimism that there will be chances to gain first-team football on a regular basis for a club that are likely to be fighting for promotion next season. At international level, Jobe is currently with the England Under 18s set-up.
