Sunderland’s young superstar Jobe Bellingham has reportedly been touted to follow in his brother’s footsteps with two German giants scouting the youngster last week.
Bundesliga powerhouses Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen are rumoured to have sent top scouts Bastian Schulz and Lukas Schmitz to watch Jobe in action. Both sides would likely be keen to add a talented asset to their ranks and hope that he follows in the footsteps of his older brother, Jude Bellingham.
Who is Jobe Bellingham?
Jobe began his career in the Birmingham City academy and despite playing a number of games for the youth teams became the club’s second youngest debutant, making his professional debut at the age of 16.
The youngster made a further 25 appearances for the Blues before a move to Sunderland ahead of the 2023-24 season. Jobe has, to date, made 73 appearances for the Black Cats and scored 11 goals.
The 19 year old has progressed through England’s youth teams from under 16’s before making his under 21’s debut in November last year against Spain. His impressive performances in the Championship have seen reports of a big move away from the North East.
Despite links with a number of Premier League sides, the Sunderland youngster has reportedly been touted as the next young star to join the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen offering the opportunity to develop in one of Europe’s top leagues.
What would Jobe Bellingham offer potential suitors?
Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris thinks highly of his Sunderland superstar and the impact he can have on matches:
“Jobe is so powerful. He wants to affect the game and he has the good quality to do it”
The 19 year old has been a key part of Sunderland’s success so far this season and has developed during his time in the North East. Jobe has the versatility to play in numerous different roles but predominantly plays the box-to-box midfield role.
During his time with Sunderland he has played in a central midfield role but also in an attacking midfield position and down the middle as a ‘false nine’. This degree of versatility will be of huge benefit to his overall development and to the impact he can have on a potential new side.
When looking at his stats so far this season, it is clear to see what he can bring to a side. The 19 year old has created on average 1.36 chances per 90 minutes and has a total of three assists.
His ability to link up play is evident as well with a pass accuracy of 85.4% and long ball accuracy of 64.7%. This attribute is vital for a player in Bellingham’s central midfield position in order to provide the option for teams to build attacks.
The statistics from his Championship appearances this season also suggest that he is not afraid to support his team defensively. Jobe has won 56.4% of tackles made and made 5.85 recoveries per 90 minutes on average showing his ability to win the ball back for Sunderland.
Arguably his biggest attribute and reason for excitement about Jobe is that he is still a young player at the early stage of his development. Despite being 19 years of age, the midfielder is on the verge of making his 100th senior appearances and has played in numerous different positions which has developed his all-round game.
Will Jobe Bellingham be as good as Jude Bellingham?
The question that is asked a lot is whether Jobe will emulate his brother Jude. The links to his brother will increase further with a move to the Bundesliga given he would be tracking the same path as Jude.
The difference between the two is the stage of their developments. Jude moved to Borussia Dortmund at the age of 17 and by the age of 19 had made numerous appearances amongst Europe’s elite in the Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League.
A move to an upwardly mobile club such as Bayer Leverkusen or a club with a proven track record of developing young players in Borussia Dortmund could be the smart move in Jobe’s development. The move could take him out of the limelight that a Premier League move would come with and allow him to develop his game in the same way Jude did.
There are undoubtedly similarities in the style of player between the two brothers with their versatility and creative play. A move to the Bundesliga could provide Jobe with the platform to emulate his brother and join him amongst Europe’s elite.