Fresh details emerge regarding Sunderland’s move for Birmingham City midfielder

Sunderland are set to pay a significantly smaller fee than the £3m that has been widely reported for Birmingham City midfielder Jobe Bellingham, according to Sunderland Nation.

It is understood that a deal for the 17-year-old is set to be completed within the next week.

Bellingham is said to have reached an agreement with Sunderland regarding a contract.

The midfielder will sign a four-year deal at the Stadium of Light.

Bellingham attended the first-leg of Sunderland’s play-off semi-final with Luton Town last month, which resulted in a 2-1 victory for Tony Mowbray’s side.

The Black Cats were eliminated from this competition as they suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the Hatters, who went on to claim a place in the Premier League by beating Coventry City in a penalty shoot-out at Wembley Stadium.

With one year left to run on his Birmingham deal, Bellingham has opted to call time on his spell at St Andrew’s in order to link up with Sunderland.

What has previously been said about Jobe Bellingham’s transfer fee?

A recent report from journalist Fabrizio Romano suggested that Sunderland were set to pay £3m for Bellingham.

While the midfielder is expected to make this switch, Birmingham are not expected to receive the aforementioned amount.

As per this latest update, Sunderland will pay less than £3m.

How did Bellingham fare during the 2022/23 campaign for Birmingham City?

Bellingham was handed opportunities to impress in the Championship by Birmingham head coach John Eustace last season.

The midfielder made 22 appearances at this level, and also represented the Blues in the League Cup.

During the closing stages of the season, Bellingham made four consecutive starts for Birmingham in their clashes with Millwall, Blackpool, Coventry City and Sheffield United.

Eustace opted to deploy Bellingham on the right-hand side of midfield against the Lions and the Tangerines, before utilising him in a central role in the next two games.

Will Tony Mowbray be able to further Bellingham’s development next season at Sunderland?

Providing that Sunderland opt to retain Mowbray’s services for the 2023/24 season, there is every chance that he will go on to nurture Bellingham’s talent.

The 59-year-old managed to further the development of the likes of Amad Diallo, Anthony Patterson and Jack Clarke in the previous term, and thus will be confident in his ability to get the best out of Bellingham.

By going on to feature on a regular basis for Sunderland in the coming years, Bellingham’s decision to make this particular switch from Birmingham will be justified.