Why Jobe Bellingham's Borussia Dortmund transfer saga could bode well for Sunderland this summer

How long must a transfer pursuit last before we can start calling it a saga? It’s a philosophical question of sorts, like determining how many grains of sand it takes for a mound to turn into a dune, or the exact day at which you become too old to try and sneak on the bus for a half fare. Whatever the answer, you suspect that Sunderland and Borussia Dortmund are slowly shuffling towards the threshold.

By now, you should know the drill; wake up, brew a coffee, grab your phone and Google Translate an article from the continental mainland claiming that negotiations over Jobe Bellingham have either taken one step forwards or one step back, like a version of the Cha Cha Slide remixed by Fabrizio Romano.

As of the beginning of the week, it seemed like a stinging inevitability that the midfielder would be packing up his little Hummel rucksack and jetting off for a new life in North Rhine-Westphalia, tearful Mackems lining the airport runway, clutching handkerchiefs and waving him off like an evacuee in wartime; nobody wants to see him to go, but deep down, we all know he kind of has to.

As of right now, it still feels as if there is an overwhelming probability that Bellingham will leave Sunderland this summer, but there have been fleeting moments during which we have tiptoed back ever so slightly from the realms of the foregone conclusion. The long and the short of the matter, or so we are told, is that Dortmund are willing to pay a certain amount of money for the teenager, and Sunderland would like them to pay a certain amount more than that certain amount. It’s a tale as old as time.

To muddy the waters further, Bellingham has been included in Lee Carsley’s England U21s squad for this month’s European Championship in Slovakia. Given that much of the narrative surrounding Dortmund’s interest in the Sunderland starlet has been centred on their longing to take him to the newly-revamped FIFA Club World Cup over the coming weeks, his sudden international obligations feel like an untimely poke in the eye. If the Bundesliga giants are to sign Bellingham in time to field him against such illustrious opponents as Ulsan HD and Mamelodi Sundowns, then they will need to get their affairs in order by Tuesday.

None of this is to say that Dortmund will simply abandon their chase because they’ve encountered a hiccup, or that Bellingham couldn’t be airmailed first class, Flat Stanley-style, to Westfalenstadion if he is unexpectedly required to complete a last gasp medical, of course. Just because Sunderland have managed to fend off the German club for the time being does not mean they are out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination; if this was a zombie apocalypse they have, in essence, just about survived the first night.

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But if nothing else, supporters can take heart from the manner in which Kristjaan Speakman has been willing to grit his teeth, roll up the sleeves of his cashmere quarter-zip, and dig his heels in. The Sunderland of yesteryear might very well have folded already under the pressure of stern negotiations with such a grandiose suitor. Even if/when Dortmund wrap up a deal in the coming weeks, days, or hours, there is comfort to be taken from the fact that the sporting director and his team seem intent on securing the very best financial package they can for one of their most-prized assets. There is backbone in this boardroom, and the reassuring hallmarks of a club who are increasingly aware of their own self-worth.

That could prove to be a vital trait for Sunderland this summer because, as we all know, Bellingham is not the only player garnering attention from further afield. At a glance, the likes of Dan Neil, Trai Hume, and Chris Rigg remain wildly appetising targets to a plethora of circling admirers, and there are plenty of others in Regis Le Bris’ dressing room who fall under that umbrella besides.

Nevertheless, Sunderland find themselves in a comparatively strong position. Many of their most integral cogs are tied to sturdy contracts, and assuming that Bellingham does eventually swap pink slices for Apfelkuchen, his transfer fee - combined with that of the already-departed Tommy Watson - will go some way towards bolstering the coffers.

How much of an added safety net that will provide for the Black Cats, only time will tell, but the early signs are promising, and in Speakman, they at least have a transfer chief who continues to prove that he will not be taken advantage of.

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