SUNDERLAND AGREE JOBE BELLINGHAM TRANSFER FEE BORUSSIA DORTMUND AS BID DETAILS REVEALED

Jobe Bellingham pictured after Sunderland's Championship play-off final win against Sheffield United(Image: Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

Jobe Bellingham looks set to follow in the footsteps of his brother Jude by moving from the Premier League to Borussia Dortmund, with Sunderland having agreed a fee

Sunderland have reached an agreement with Borussia Dortmund for the transfer of midfielder Jobe Bellingham, a deal that could potentially reach nearly £32million.

The PA news agency reports that the Black Cats have brokered a club-record fee of 33m euros (£27.8m), with an additional 5m euros (£4.2million) in add-ons for the 19-year-old sibling of England international Jude Bellingham.

This initial sum would position him as the Bundesliga club's second priciest acquisition, trailing only Ousmane Dembele, while the add-ons would set a new record for Dortmund.

The agreement, which incorporates a 15 per cent sell-on clause for the Wearside team, will see Bellingham follow in his brother's footsteps, who spent three seasons at Dortmund before securing his dream transfer to Real Madrid in the summer of 2023.

He played a pivotal role in the club's Sky Bet Championship triumph last season, but his burgeoning talent has been under close scrutiny by numerous potential suitors – he has also held talks with Eintracht Frankfurt and RB Leipzig are known admirers – making his exit increasingly likely.

However, the Black Cats were resolute in their stance not to let him depart for less than their valuation, resulting in a significant increase from Dortmund's initial offer, understood to have been around £20m Euros (£16.8m).

Under the stewardship of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, Sunderland have embraced a strategy of acquiring youthful talent and nurturing it – they have already transferred Tommy Watson, who netted the decisive goal in the play-off final against Sheffield United, to Brighton.

When asked about Jobe earlier this week, Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris told RMC Sport: "Jobe is also a guy with an incredible personality; it's a wonderful encounter.

"The player is incredibly interesting; he's still very young, and he has enormous room for improvement.

"But his personality is also great - he's extremely competitive, extremely intense. It's a wonderful encounter."

- Joshua Smith