Brentford 'monitor' Sunderland star as Black Cats urged to make 'crazy, outrageous' demands - round-up

Sunderland will be looking to turn their stumbling form around when they travel to face Swansea City in the Championship on Saturday afternoon. The Black Cats have won just one of their last eight outings, and have slipped to fourth in the table as a result.

But as December wears on, attentions will inevitably shift towards the January transfer window. With plenty of players in demand, and with the prospect of strengthening a promotion-chasing squad also a distinct possibility, there’s plenty of speculation to sift through already, and with that in mind, here are a couple of the Sunderland-related stories you might have missed in the past day or two...

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Goodman wants to see “crazy” price tags

Former Sunderland striker Don Goodman has suggested that the Black Cats should hold out for “astronomical” fees before considering the sale of prized assets like Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg. Both teenagers have shone on Wearside this season, and have subsequently garnered plenty of high-profile attention from both the Premier League and abroad.

But Goodman is of the opinion that his former club should be demanding big, big money for the pair, as well as expressing his hope that they will stick around until the end of the campaign, at least. Speaking to Mackem News, the pundit said: “Every player has a price. I mean it might be a crazy, ridiculous, outrageous price and I hope it is for Sunderland. I hope that Sunderland if they’re valuing Jobe and if they’re valuing Chris Rigg I hope that the numbers are astronomical and, at the moment, put people off, but every player has a price so we can’t kid ourselves about that.

“But again in the situation Sunderland find themselves there’s no possible way I’d be entertaining letting anybody leave. I’d be of the mindset to say let’s try and be part of something really special and get this club promoted to the Premier League and let’s review it in the summer and see where we are because every player’s ambitious.

“That’s ultimately why players leave Championship clubs because they’re ambitious to get to the highest place that they can but you can manage that ambition by the way you manage the players. Ultimately if somebody says to Jobe Bellingham look there’s loads of bids in for you we don’t want to lose you, stick with us and let’s review this in the summer. If I were Jobe Bellingham I think I’d be all right with that.”

Brentford eye Bellingham

Elsewhere, Brentford are “continuing to monitor” Jobe Bellingham ahead of a prospective bid for the midfielder. As mentioned above, the teenager is attracting attention from far and wide, with recent reports suggesting that the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, and Aston Villa could be willing to do battle with Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid for his signature.

But despite that auspicious company, Football League World report that the Bees have not fully given up hope of prising the prospect away from Sunderland next year. The widespread understanding is that the Black Cats would be highly reluctant to lose Bellingham in the January transfer window, but could face a groundswell of interest at the end of the season, especially if Regis Le Bris’ side miss out on promotion over the coming months.