Jobe Bellingham will stay this month despite interest in the Premier League.
Sunderland youngster Bellingham, 19, has flourished since joining the Black Cats from Birmingham for just £1.5million 18 months ago. And like his older brother Jude, Bellingham has his fair share of high-profile admirers.
Unsurprisingly, Premier League clubs have been eyeing Bellingham with interest this season. But their hopes of luring the midfielder away from the Stadium of Light have been hampered by Sunderland's excellent form this season, with the Regis Le Bris side currently fourth in the Championship.
It is now believed that Bellingham is unlikely to move this month as Sunderland are reluctant to accept the loss of one of their most influential players mid-season given their own promotion ambitions.
That news, first revealed by The Sun, will come as a bitter blow to the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United, who join Crystal Palace in the hunt for the £20million-rated midfielder.
And the report goes on to outline that Bellingham is likely to disappoint his admirers in English football by following his older brother's example by moving abroad at the end of the season.
German giants Borussia Dortmund are also following Bellingham; they enjoyed huge success after signing Jude from Birmingham in a similar move, before selling him for big money to Real Madrid in the summer transfer window last year.
Back in March, it emerged that some of Italy's biggest clubs were courting Bellingham, who has four league goals and three assists to his name so far this season.
Bellingham has done well this year under Le Bris, who raved about the England Under-21 star in October. He told Sky Sports: “He is still a young player with the ability to play in many different roles.
“But I like him as a number 8 because I think he is an attacking midfielder. He can express his strength, his ability to run and his ability to press – to link defense and attack.”
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