England's Jude Bellingham (left) with his brother Jobe (right)
England's Jude Bellingham (left) with his brother Jobe (right)
Jobe Bellingham has all the attributes to be as good as his brother Jude and emulate him on the big stage.
That’s the view of former Sunderland defender Michael Gray, who reckons it’s inevitable the Black Cats midfielder will leave the club even though he wants him to stay.
A lot depends on whether the Wearsiders make it to the Premier League as they are destined for a Championship play-off campaign. That won’t be easy as, along with other contenders, they will be up against one of Leeds United, Sheffield United or Burnley, the three frontrunners for promotion.
Gray was speaking to Betfred about Bellingham. He was asked if the youngster could have an immediate impact if he moves to Manchester United, after being linked with a transfer to Old Trafford.
Gray replied: “I would say yes because he’s an outstanding talent that’s still probably got a bit to learn.
“One thing I would look at is that Amad Diallo went to Sunderland on loan and he was outstanding. He then goes back to Manchester United, has a couple of injuries and has to bide his time, but once he got himself in the first team, he’s probably been their best player this season.
"So when I take all that into consideration, then absolutely Jobe Bellingham could go to Manchester United, even though I want him to remain at Sunderland.”
Gray is well-placed to discuss the player's future. Having had a spell at Man United himself as a youngster, he then starred for Sunderland under Peter Reid and won promotion with his boyhood club.
The 50-year-old pundit added: “I think it’s probably on the cards that he [Bellingham] is going to go somewhere.
"I think 100 per cent he’s got the physicality, he’s ready for the big stage and when you look at what his brother’s achieved in a short period of time, I’m not saying that Jobe’s going to reach those levels, but he’s got all the ability in the world to be nearly as good as his brother.”
The senior Bellingham brother made the move to Germany where he starred for Borussia Dortmund before moving to Real Madrid. It could be a path that Jobe follows, with teams on the continent interested in him as well as the Premier League clubs.
RB Leipzig are seriously interested in signing Bellingham and have held initial talks over a summer swoop, according to reports in Germany. The Bundesliga giants are one of the clubs keen on a transfer for the 19-year-old.