Carlo Ancelotti's joke to Jude Bellingham about Sunderland star Jobe amid Real Madrid transfer interest
The Sunderland attacking midfielder has been linked with a move to Real Madrid alongside his brother
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti’s joke about Sunderland star Jobe Bellingham could prove telling amid recent news of transfer interest.
In the debut episode of his YouTube documentary series, Jobe’s brother, Jude Bellingham, shared a light-hearted moment involving Real Madrid manager Ancelotti and Jobe. Last September, the 21-year-old midfielder recalled how Ancelotti jokingly suggested that Real Madrid might have signed the wrong Bellingham after Jobe scored twice for Sunderland in their 2-1 win over Rotherham last August.
"As we were walking out, Carlo said to me, ‘Looks like we got the wrong brother,’" Jude recounted earlier this season. He added that Ancelotti then teased him about bringing in Jobe to play in his role, before offering a knowing smile. “My heart dropped,” Jude admitted. “I just thought, ‘No pressure today.’”
The elder Bellingham didn’t appear fazed, though—he went on to score twice himself in Madrid’s 3-1 victory over Almeria that same day. The documentary follows Bellingham’s headline-making £88.5million transfer from Borussia Dortmund to the Spanish giants, and covers his impressive debut season in which he finished as Real Madrid’s top scorer. It also highlights the club’s successful campaign, which included triumphs in La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup, and the Champions League.
However, Jobe is now being linked with a move this summer - and could join his older brother. Following a standout season, Jobe Bellingham has drawn interest from several top European clubs, including Real Madrid, where his brother Jude currently plays. That’s according to the major Spanish news publication, Marca. The 19-year-old midfielder, who operates in a similar role to his older sibling, has contributed four goals and three assists across 39 Championship appearances this campaign.
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With one game left in the regular season, Sunderland have already secured their place in the Championship play-offs, giving Jobe a chance to help push the club toward Premier League promotion — one of the most prestigious competitions in world football.
Their report also adds that Jobe appears to be treading a similar path to Jude, who rose to prominence at Birmingham City before earning a move to Borussia Dortmund, where his star rose further and ultimately led to a switch to Real Madrid — a club he’s already won a Champions League title with.
Jobe has been the subject of widespread transfer speculation in recent months, and has been linked with a whole host of suitors, including Premier League giants such as Manchester United and Chelsea, as well as continental outfits like RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund. As recently as last week, reports from Europe suggested that Sunderland would demand at least £21.5million for Bellingham before considering a sale over the coming months, but even at that price point.