Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland to Dortmund: Instead of disappointment, I feel pride
Well, Jobe’s off to Dortmund. Ordinarily you’d be seriously disappointed when selling one of your best players, but instead, I feel proud — proud of the way Sunderland are run these days.
I’m sad that the day Jobe Bellingham finally leaves Sunderland for pastures new is upon us, but more than anything, I feel immensely proud of the whole situation and his time at the club since he arrived two short years ago from Birmingham City.
Is he one of Sunderland’s best players? Undoubtedly. He’s excellent – and for any non-Sunderland supporters reading this, he’s more than just Jude’s brother… trust me.
Are we going to miss him? Of course – he’s become very popular with the fans and his teammates alike, and every single time he’s represented Sunderland on the football pitch, he’s given our club the respect it deserves. For such a young man, he’s mature beyond his years and came to Wearside with one goal in mind: to get us back to the Premier League.
Does that mean I think the world is about to end? Well, no. As great as I think Jobe is, he’s not irreplaceable, and to be honest, this was all part of the plan – he would never have ended up at Sunderland in the first place had we not given some guarantees to him and his family about his pathway from our first team and beyond.
All I was concerned about this summer was whether the club managed to secure a good deal with whomever we decided to sell him to, and after the news that broke on Sunday night, I think it’s fair to say they definitely did. £27.8m up front, £4.2m in add-ons (Birmingham City are owed 15% of the £27.8m), and we get 15% of any future sell-on fees. That, for a lad who cost us a couple of million quid, is outstanding business.
Regardless, it’s about whether we spend the money wisely. Building a Premier League squad will be tough, and we cannot afford to waste much, if any, money in the transfer window.
In years gone by, this would have filled me with immense dread. When we sold Jordan Pickford to Everton, I had zero faith we’d see any return on it, and this has often been the case during my time as a Lads fan – but not now. These days, I trust Kristjaan Speakman and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus to not only replace Jobe with some cracking players but to ensure we got the best deal possible from Borussia Dortmund.
I’m proud that Sunderland are no longer a football club that other clubs take advantage of, knowing we’re useless at negotiating and even worse at holding on to our best players.
I’m proud that we played a part in the career of yet another brilliant young English talent who I have no doubt will go on to do very well in the game. Like with Amad, I think Sunderland supporters will watch on like proud parents from afar whenever we see Jobe out there in a yellow shirt, willing him to succeed.
I’m proud that this whole situation played out perfectly. We made big promises to a young footballer and his family, and we delivered. We gave him ample opportunities, developed him, provided invaluable experience of playing for a huge football club in front of a massive fanbase, and gave him the chance to play a part in some very important games.
I’m proud that, off the back of this, we can sit back knowing that Sunderland have a growing reputation in the game as a place young players have to be if they want to achieve things. A place where you’ll play, no matter how young you are – you just have to be good enough.
I’m proud of Jobe, too. He took a punt in coming here, and he’s delivered at every single juncture. No matter what happens now, he’ll always be a Mackem to us.
This football club is going places, and we are no longer defined by our transfer business for all the wrong reasons – instead, we’re the envy of many, and this move for Jobe should set the club up perfectly to grow even further now that we are in the Premier League.
I don’t know about you, but I cannot wait to see what our next move is.
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