Chelsea 'lead' Man Utd in transfer battle to sign ‘freak of nature’ 19-year-old Championship gem

Premier League heavyweights Chelsea are reported to be leading Manchester United in the race to sign Sunderland wonderkid Jobe Bellingham for a lucrative fee in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The talented 19-year-old and the younger brother of Real Madrid and England superstar Jude, has earned tremendous plaudits for his performances in the Championship this season and is expected to be the next prospect from the Birmingham City academy to make a name for himself in the big time.

At 16 years, 107 days, he became Birmingham's second youngest debutant behind his brother Jude, and shortly afterwards he was handed his first professional contract at the club by manager at the time John Eustace. Over the course of the last four years since his debut in 2021 his career has gone from strength to strength leading to speculation surrounding a possible move to Old Trafford.

Chelsea lead Man Utd in Bellingham battle

CaughtOffside reports that Chelsea are currently in the best place to land Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland in the summer transfer window as they continue to go down the route of trying to land the very best young footballers that Europe has to offer.

Chelsea are yet to make contact over the England Under-21 international, but they’re seen as one of the favourites as the player looks a perfect fit for their project as they aim to assemble a team capable of coping with the demands of either Champions League or Europa League football depending on their league position at the end of the campaign.

The Blues currently have Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Romeo Lavia at the heart of their midfield, with Cole Palmer being the team’s main central attacking option ahead of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Bellingham, however, is seen as someone that can offer the midfield something different due to his immense physicality, energy levels, and his ability to carry the ball off the field and start attackers from deeper areas.

However, United are described as a team “to watch” when it comes to a summer move for Bellingham. Minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is keen to focus on buying younger talent rather than overspending on established players who might fail to make the grade at Old Trafford. Given the depth already in Chelsea’s midfield, United could prove a more attractive destination for Bellingham with Christian Eriksen poised to leave the club this summer.

Jobe Bellingham’s rise to prominence

Jobe Bellingham made 24 league appearances in two seasons for Birmingham under the guidance of Lee Bowyer and John Eustace and was largely viewed as a bit-part player despite his massive potential.

Rumours of a possible move to Sunderland strengthened after Bellingham attended their play-off semi-final against Luton Town in 2023 and though promotion wasn’t achieved it wasn’t long before the Black Cats agreed an undisclosed fee to get the England Under-21 international on board. Since signing for Sunderland, he has racked up 83 appearances for the Championship side, scoring 11 and providing four assists.

Bellingham primarily plays as a defensive midfielder and could be seen as an ideal replacement for either Casemiro or youngster Kobbie Mainoo, who have both been linked with moves away from Old Trafford.

He is renowned for his physicality, stamina, composure on the ball and his ability to break down opposing attacks.

“He's an absolute freak of nature, physically. I have never seen a 17-year-old that size. Technically, he is a top, top, player as well,” said Dan Neil in 2023, via Northern Echo. Meanwhile his manager Regis Le Bris said, via Goal.com: Jobe is so powerful. He wants to affect the game. It’s not a big surprise for us but you have to do it on the pitch.”

Bellingham’s existing contract at the Stadium of Light runs until 2028, leaving the club in a strong position from a negotiation standpoint as they have no rush to cash in on the player. They sit fourth in the Championship and have secured a play-off place finish with their current points tally.

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