Delegation travels to Sunderland amid imminent talks to sign 19 y/o

A “wonderful” Sunderland player continues to be the subject of strong interest from a huge club, with exit talks now expected to begin soon, according to a new transfer update.

Sunderland set for Coventry showdown

The Black Cats face one of their biggest matches of the season on Friday evening, as they take on Coventry City in the first leg of their Championship playoff semi-final tie. Regis Le Bris’ out of form side make the trip to take on Frank Lampard’s men fresh off an emotional final day of league action, so it will be difficilt to bring a positive result with them back to the Stadium of Light.

It has been a long and gruelling season for Sunderland, who started the campaign on fire and threatened to seal automatic promotion to the Premier League, only to tail off as the months continued to pass. In fact, they have lost their last five matches, which is clearly a concern despite the manager’s claims to the contrary.

It looks like they will face Sheffield United in the final at Wembley if they do get past Coventry, following the Blades’ 3-0 win at Bristol City on Thursday. Promotion would be huge for Sunderland for so many reasons, not least in terms of keeping hold of key men, and a new update has now emerged regarding the future of one such individual.

Dortmund delegation travels to Wearside for Bellingham

According to Ruhr Nachrichten [via Sport Witness], Borussia Dortmund’s interest in Sunderland star Jobe Bellingham is “concrete”, with a summer move becoming more and more serious.

A delegation was sent to the North East on Wednesday to discuss the signing of the 19-year-old, whose brother, Jude, spent three years with the Bundesliga giants. They still have to negotiate with the player, his representatives and the Black Cats, though, with those talks expected to begin soon.

Keeping hold of Bellingham has to be a priority for Sunderland this summer, but it will be hard for them to retain him, especially if they fail to seal promotion. The midfielder may like the idea of moving to Dortmund, enjoying a similar path to his brother, with the teenager hailed by teammate Luke O’Nien earlier this year.

“Listen, Jobe’s a wonderful player. I’m one of his biggest fans, more than his dad. Don’t tell him that. I think Jobe’s wonderful. He’s a wonderful addition. He even comes in at half-time to give his perspective. That’s how much he’s grown into the game. Even though he’s not playing, he’s in at half-time. We’re asking for his perspective on the game because he’s a leader in our team.”

Bellingham’s brilliance was outlined by him winning the Championship’s Young Player of the Season award, so Sunderland losing him would be a crushing blow.

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Uh oh: Worrying injury update emerges on Sunderland star ahead of Coventry

The Black Cats are set to be without an important player in their play-off semi final.

There does have to be some realism involved with the Black Cats, however, who will know that they may have to cash in at some point, with the report stating that they want £21m for his signature.