Ex-Sunderland star Seb Larsson hails 'big game' Black Cat amid ongoing Borussia Dortmund transfer interest

Former Sunderland midfielder Seb Larsson has heaped praise on current Black Cats star Jobe Bellingham amid ongoing transfer speculation involving the teenage sensation.

Bellingham has enjoyed a stellar campaign on Wearside, and was named Championship Young Player of the Season earlier this month having helped his side to a top six finish that has assured them of a place in this week’s play-off semi-finals.

The starlet and his teammates will consequently take on Coventry City at the CBS Arena on Friday night, before hosting the Sky Blues in a reverse fixture at the Stadium of Light next Tuesday. But before then, Larsson returned to the North East for a sit down interview with the England youth international.

What has Seb Larsson said about Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham?

When asked if he had any advice for Bellingham during a chat with Sunderland’s in-house media team, Larsson responded: "He doesn't need my advice. He does all the things he needs to do. But, as I said earlier, for me he's the type of player who steps up in big games and big moments.

"I've seen a lot of players who don't do it, the ones who have the talent but maybe don't have it up there [in their heads]. But I have no doubt about you when it comes to that. Next year, knock on wood, we'll do it in the Premier League."

What has been said about Jobe Bellingham’s Sunderland future?

Earlier this week, reports in Germany suggested that Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovač, managing director Lars Ricken, and sporting director Sebastian Kehl all flew to England to hold talks over a prospective summer swoop for Bellingham. A subsequent update from continental outlet WAZ has now backed those claims up, stating that the Bundesliga giants’ interest in the Sunderland star is “becoming more concrete”.

WAZ also explain that Dortmund’s “chances are good” when it comes to securing the 19-year-old’s services, citing the three years that his elder brother, Jude, spent at the Signal Iduna Park before he was sold to Real Madrid in 2023. It is also stated that BVB have long been sceptical about whether the Black Cats talent has the potential to become anywhere near as good as his sibling, but it would appear that those doubts been quelled following his performances at the Stadium of Light this season.

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What has Regis Le Bris said about the prospect of Sunderland selling key players this summer?

Speaking ahead of Friday’s play-off semi-final first leg, head coach Le Bris said: "I don't want to think too much about the future. Obviously when you have a successful team, especially with young players, talented players, it's always tough to say that you will keep them all in the future. We'll have a lot of interest in these players, so we'll see later. What I can say is that they are all absolutely focused on these games ahead of us. This is really clear, 100%."

Your next Sunderland read: Inside Sunderland's lengthy play-off preparations and what Régis Le Bris has been working on behind the scenes