Sunderland's Jobe Bellingham and (inset) former Arsenal, Chelsea and France star Emmanuel Petit
Sunderland's Jobe Bellingham and (inset) former Arsenal, Chelsea and France star Emmanuel Petit
Former France World Cup winner and Arsenal midfield star Emmanuel Petit reckons one Sunderland star destined for greatness is not yet ready for one of the Premier League’s top clubs.
The 54-year-old had a glittering club career with Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea. He remains an Arsenal icon having been part of ‘The Invincibles’ who went unbeaten in the 2003/04 Premier League title triumph. He went on record in March 2020 to suggest that Gunners outfit was not as good as the Liverpool team who won the title in that Covid-19-hit season of 2019/20.
Among Petit’s recent topics of discussion was Arsenal’s need for Newcastle United hero Alexander Isak, predicting the end of Mikel Arteta’s story as Arsenal manager, comparing Messi and Ronaldo and suggesting it’s like choosing between two beuatiful women, as well as arguing Romelu Lukaku should forget about Chelsea and move on.
But it is the quotes on Bellingham – who has been hitting the heights this season in Sunderland’s midfield – that will spark debate in the red and white sector of the North East.
There has been much speculation about the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea moving in on Bellingham this summer. Petit, of course, was with Chelsea too and speaking to YaySweepstakes.com he stated: “Jobe Bellingham isn’t ready to play for Chelsea – it’s too big a jump. I have a lot of respect for Jobe Bellingham, but he isn’t ready to play for Chelsea, they cannot be compared to Sunderland in any way.
“It would be a jump of three or four steps. He is doing great things at Sunderland and has been linked to many top clubs, but he wouldn’t be right for Chelsea. That shouldn’t be their priority.”