Sunderland touted for '£40m' transfer exit as Black Cats told way of 'guaranteeing' Wolves deal - round-up

Sunderland may only be a little over a week removed from the January transfer window, but already attention is beginning to turn to potential summer dealings.

Much will depend, of course, on which division the Black Cats find themselves in next season, but with plenty of players being linked with high profile exits - and with possible replacements already being touted - it promises to be a busy preseason on Wearside. With that in mind, here are a couple of the early transfer stories that you might have missed over the past day or two...

Bellingham worth ‘£40 million’

One of the players most heavily linked with a prospective exit over the coming months is Jobe Bellingham, with the Sunderland midfielder reportedly attracting attention from a whole host of Premier League and continental heavyweights.

But while few on Wearside will want to consider the prospect of him leaving, former England international Carlton Palmer has suggested that the Black Cats will demand top dollar if and when the times comes for Bellingham to seek a fresh challenge elsewhere.

Speaking to Football League World, the pundit said: "What type of figure would they sell him for? I think it's got to be in the £30 million to £40 million bracket. Obviously, they won't want to sell all their young players, but they'll sell one for a big amount of money that will balance the books for them to have an assault the following season should they not get promoted.

"Should they get promoted, Bellingham is guaranteed to be playing in the Premier League next season, and you could well still see him at Sunderland. This speculation is surrounding the event in which Sunderland don't get promoted and then you have the Premier League giants like Arsenal and Manchester United keeping tabs on him.

"You also have the likes of Crystal Palace, and you've got to make the right steps when you move from a club, especially at Bellingham's age, you want to go and play. Tottenham are big admirers of him too, and we've seen how Tottenham are with young players.

"But he needs to carry on his education and keep playing so we'll see. As we've always said, money talks and we'll see what happens at the end of this season. I reckon 100%, unless they get an unbelievable offer for him and they don’t get promoted, Bellingham will be playing his football at the Stadium of Light next season."

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Tommy Doyle deal could be ‘difficult’

One of the names touted as a potential replacement for Bellingham should he depart at the end of the campaign is Wolves midfielder Tommy Doyle. The 23-year-old has started just three Premier League matches this season, with a further 16 substitute outings to his name, and has reportedly been identified as an option in the event of Sunderland needing reinforcements this summer.

But Palmer is of the opinion that an agreement to bring the former Manchester City player to the Stadium of Light could be tricky - especially if they fail to secure a long-awaited return to the top flight. Speaking to Football League World, he said: “It’s a difficult one. Doyle wants to play in the Premier League and I think to guarantee his signature, they would need to win promotion.

“The problem for Doyle is that he has gone to Wolves, and he hasn’t played (regularly). You need to get on and be playing football. But, unless Sunderland win promotion, he may not be interested, but if they do go up, they may not have to sell Bellingham, as he might be happy to stay another year in the top-flight.”

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