Inside Sunderland's big Jobe Bellingham transfer dilemma and the challenge that now lies ahead

There had been an acceptance behind the scenes that failure to win promotion would lead to Jobe Bellingham’s Sunderland departure. In an alternate universe where Sheffield United had held on and got over the line, a deal would have likely progressed even quicker than it did this time around.

Bellingham was clearly destined for top-tier football next season and as Sunderland began their Championship rebuild, a fee edging over the £20 million mark would have ensured a very stable foundation. Promotion changed the picture to an extent, emboldening Sunderland to make a play to keep him for at least one more year and giving the midfielder genuine pause for thought. It tells you much that even in his first in-house interview with Borussia Dortmund, Bellingham openly admitted he had considered staying on Wearside given the bond that now existed with the club.

In the end the pull of the Champions League proved too much, and Dortmund’s charm offensive paid off. The strength of the Bellinghams’ connection with the club and the way key figures were able to convince Bellingham of his role in the team and the project won the day, CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke at one stage arriving with a new shirt and a handwritten note from head coach Niko Kovač urging him to line up in it next season.

For Sunderland, it then became about negotiating the best possible deal.

While it’s tempting to ask why the club didn’t just dig their heels in and wait for Borussia Dortmund to trigger the release clause (believed to be in the region of €40 million), the border context of how Sunderland operate needs to be considered. That release clause clearly marked the very upper end of the club’s valuation, inserted not necessarily as the point at which they’d do business but as protection against interest in Bellingham should strong interest emerge at a period where they didn’t want to do business. Sunderland were never likely to stand in Bellingham’s way for two key reasons. One being the strength of the bond between Bellingham and the club’s hierarchy, which meant a stand-off was always unlikely, and the other more fundamental point is that to stand consistently in the way of players would be to undermine the whole project. When players like Bellingham have the pick of clubs to choose as a youngster, they pick Sunderland because they will get first team minutes and then step up if they develop quicker than the club. If Sunderland consistently block moves with unrealistic asking prices, players won’t join in the first place and they’ll be considerably more inclined to run down their contracts. Put simply, there’s no way Bellingham’s camp agrees an extension to draw a line under Premier League interest like they did last summer if it risks jeopardising a move like this one.

The key for Sunderland is to ensure that they manage contracts properly to ensure the team isn’t damaged by too many departures in one window, and to demonstrate that they won’t be lowballed when the time is right to sell. That Borussia Dortmund’s final offer ended up much closer to Bellingham’s release clause than their opening gambit reflects positively on Sunderland’s negotiation. Their work has also secured a speedy resolution, which is vital in allowing them time to find a replacement.

And that is vital, because the gap that has been left in Sunderland’s squad is a significant one and not to be underestimated. As Gus Poyet outlined in a recent chat with The Echo, teams making the major step up from Championship to Premier League know that not everyone in their squad will be able to handle the rise in pace and quality. Sunderland are, before having an opportunity to strengthen their squad from last season, losing one of the players who looked clearly ready to step up.

Sunderland have significant talent within their midfield ranks, with Enzo Le Fée, Chris Rigg and Dan Neil (providing his contract situation is wrapped up) all ready to play a part in a Premier League campaign. That Sunderland did not win a game when Bellingham was either injured or suspended last season is no coincidence, though. His ability to carry the ball forward large distances and to dominate the midfield battle, both in terms of duels and in the air, was an absolutely integral part of the balance of Sunderland’s side.

The positive for Sunderland is that Bellingham’s departure has been long anticipated, and even if there was hope that promotion might change the picture it was always understood that this might not be enough to keep the 19-year-old. As such, the preparation should mostly be done as to which potential targets will be available this summer and could help fill the void. Sunderland have managed the first stage of Bellingham’s departure well, but getting the next bit right is crucial if they are to be competitive next season.

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