Crystal Palace are in talks to sign Sunderland starlet Jobe Bellingham this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Palace manager Oliver Glasner wants him, and sporting director Dougie Freedman is working to convince the player to move to London.
Palace are not the only Premier League club interested in the budding midfielder. Brentford are also reportedly fighting for his signature.
Bellingham had a breakout season in the Championship, bagging seven goals and one assist in 45 appearances for the Black Cats.
Like his brother at Real Madrid, Bellingham started his career at Birmingham City before leaving for Sunderland in June 2023.
He debuted in January 2022 for Birmingham when he was 16 years and 107 days. He was the club’s second-youngest-ever player – only his brother had been younger.
Palace have an excellent record of scouting and signing players from the Championship, having signed Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise, Adam Wharton and others from the second tier.
Bellingham could be another masterstroke from Freedman, who recently rejected interest from Newcastle United to stay at the club.
Brentford also know how to shop from the Championship and have some major midfield holes they need to plug.
The Bees released Saman Ghoddos and Shandon Baptiste after their contracts expired, while Josh Dasilva is still recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
Bellingham fits the club’s model of signing young, tactically versatile and hard-working players.
The Stourbridge-born star started as a striker and has played as an attacking midfielder behind the centre-forward. He has since been playing in a box-to-box midfield role.
Besides links to the Premier League, Borussia Dortmund have been monitoring Bellingham’s development.
They helped develop his elder brother and could swoop for him as they embark on a massive rebuild.
