'Advanced talks' as Leeds United's Premier League relegation rivals Sunderland set for £25m transfer boost
Leeds United, Sunderland and Burnley might all have to make difficult sales to fund their summer transfer window.
Sunderland’s transfer coffers look set to be strengthened by the sale of Jobe Bellingham as they and Leeds United budget for busy summers preparing for the Premier League.
The Black Cats joined Leeds and Burnley as a top-flight team following last month’s dramatic Championship play-off final win over Sheffield United, with all three set to rival each other once again in the fight to survive. How those newly-promoted teams plan to strengthen will no doubt be of interest to others, with the likelihood being at least one will drop back into the second-tier.
Stadium of Light chiefs will arguably have the most work to do, given they finished 24 points behind Leeds and Burnley last season, and it appears they have made the difficult decision to sell Bellingham in order to help fund their summer spending. Sky Sports claim that after speaking with a host of German outfits, the 19-year-old has decided to follow his brother Jude’s path in signing for Borussia Dortmund.
The Bundesliga side are now in advanced talks with Sunderland over a move for Bellingham, having convinced the midfielder to join them over domestic rivals Eintracht Frankfurt and RB Leipzig. And despite the presence of a €40million (£33.7m) release clause, a deal is expected to be agreed at around £25m due to a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ between the player and those in charge at the Stadium of Light.
How Sunderland can benefit from Jobe Bellingham sale
Bellingham’s exit is undoubtedly a blow for Sunderland, given he registered four goals and three assists on the way to being crowned Championship young Player of the Year last season, but it could also provide crucial funds for a wider summer rebuild. Regis Le Bris’ squad has virtually no Premier League experience and while the exit of a teenage star might be hard to swallow, that money can be reinvested to build a squad more ready for a survival scrap.
A £25m fee would cover Sunderland’s £19.3m obligation to buy January loan signing Enzo Le Fee with change left over, instantly ensuring a level of top-flight experience is kept on board. Stadium of Light chiefs can then add that extra £5.7m to their budget, which could be further boosted if other difficult sales are made.
Neither Burnley nor Leeds will be immune from similar decisions as both look to increase their summer budget while adhering to Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR). Clarets goalkeeper and Championship Player of the Season nominee James Trafford is reportedly a £30m target for Newcastle United, while Whites chairman Paraag Marathe has not shied away from the prospect of player trading.
Quizzed on the prospect in an interview with the YEP and other local media, he said: “I'm not really ready to go into that, but yes, your speculation is probably right. It's going to be a mix of seeing if there are inbounds along with outbounds. And that's probably, that's probably accurate, but really not ready to go into more detail than that. But we are looking at maximizing what we can do, and so that involves the whole bag, ins and outs."
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