Sunderland brace for £20m bid as West Ham hunt Jobe Bellingham transfer
Sunderland are bracing themselves for a £20million bid from Borussia Dortmund for West Ham-linked Jobe Bellingham in January, according to The Mirror.
The newspaper reported on 21 November (page 56) that the Bundesliga giants are looking to sign the England Under-21 international after also signing his brother, Jude, in 2019.
The Hammers have shown interest in the 19-year-old alongside Crystal Palace but could now be beaten to his signing by Dortmund.
The Black Cats are seemingly confident in keeping hold of the midfielder after signing him from Birmingham City for £3m just 18 months ago.
Borussia Dortmund could beat West Ham to signing Jobe Bellingham
It appears that the Irons are keen on revamping their midfield after a difficult start to the season under new manager Julen Lopetegui.
There has been a general lack of creativity in the centre of the park with summer signing Carlos Soler failing to make an impact in East London.
This has seen links to the Sunderland ace and Manchester City talent James McAtee arise [The Sun] ahead of the January window which would certainly have an impact on the midfield conversation at the London Stadium.
The Hammers would likely have to offer first-team assurances to the Englishman if they want him to choose them over Dortmund, however.
There is no doubt that the ex-Birmingham youngster would represent a risk as a signing, especially if the transfer fee exceeds £20m.
This would represent a large outlay for the teenager but there is good reason to believe that his potential could be worth the spend.
In other West Ham news, a former coach has shared a verdict on a possible exit for one star after recent failure.
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