Sunderland handed blow in pursuit of 23-year-old Premier League full-back…
The brother of Real Madrid and England star Jude Bellingham had an excellent debut season for the Black Cats last term despite it being quite a turbulent campaign for the club. The 18-year-old scored seven goals and recorded one assist for the Wearside outfit following his £3 million move from Birmingham City 12 months ago.
Nevertheless, his impressive displays at the Stadium of Light have piqued the interest of several suitors this summer. It was reported last month that newly-promoted Premier League side Southampton were keen to bring him to the St. Mary’s Stadium in a double swoop of Sunderland alongside winger Jack Clarke. The duo are priced at a combined fee of around £40 million, although it was believed that the Saints were far away from this valuation, hence these rumours have gone cold.
Italian giants Lazio have also been keeping tabs on Bellingham’s displays on Wearside over the past few months and it was believed that the Rome-based club would make a move for him before the transfer window ends next month.
However, the Biancocelesti were side-tracked by an attempt to bring Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood to the Stadio Olimpico, a pursuit which proved unsuccessful as the attacker has joined Ligue 1 side Marseille. As a result, Lazio were reported to have reignited their interest in Bellingham as an alternative to Greenwood but any potential deal may have hit a snag.
