Somehow, despite winning promotion to the Premier League via the Championship play-offs, Sunderland fans are having to endure continuous rumours linking their best players with moves away from the club.
Against the odds, Sunderland were able to turn things around in the Wembley showcase just over a week ago and defeat Sheffield United to secure their seat at English football’s top table.
You’d think that, with the summer transfer window now open, Regis Le Bris’ main focus would be adding quality to his Black Cats squad to prepare for the Premier League challenge ahead.
However, the past week has been dominated by stories of Jobe Bellingham’s potential Sunderland exit, with the young midfielder having flown out to Germany for talks with multiple Bundesliga clubs.
Now, another key player in the Sunderland side has been linked with a move away from the Stadium of Light.
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
According to a report from Alan Nixon for The Sun, it is not Dan Neil who has been attracting attention from Europe’s top clubs, with the Sunderland skipper on Roma’s radar.
It is thought the Italian giants are preparing a shock move for the 23-year-old, with talk of a £15m deal being considered by Roma.
Nixon says any such transfer would “rock Sunderland”, who have already prepared for the departure of Jobe Bellingham but are not intending to see their captain leave, too.
Statistics Dan Neil 2024/25
Appearances 45
Goals 2
Assists 3
Pass completion 83.1%
Shot-creating actions/90 2.09
Tackle success 43.7%
Data via FBRef
Whether Sunderland would accept any such offer, and whether Neil himself would actually want to make the move, remains to be seen.
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
What do we know about Jobe Bellingham’s future?
While speculation regarding Dan Neil ramps up, it’s worth taking a look at the Jobe situation and trying to figure out exactly what might happen this summer.
Reports had initially suggested Bellingham would favour a move to Eintracht Frankfurt, and they were the first club to get the young midfielder to sit down for talks.
However, it emerged shortly after that Bellingham had rejected Frankfurt, leaving the door open for Borussia Dortmund to make their move.
Still, talk of that switch has gone a little quiet in recent days. There’s every chance Bellingham decides to stay at Sunderland, of course, but there’s still a long way to go this summer.
Sunderland fans are torn over Bellingham’s status with some accepting he deserves the big move, while others find the timing of his trip to Germany a little odd in the wake of the Black Cats’ Wembley success.