Chelsea join Real Madrid in Jobe Bellingham race

Tom Weber

• Updated: 18 Dec 2023 17:05 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea have joined Real Madrid in the battle to sign Jude Bellingham's younger brother Jobe, according to a report.

The 18-year-old midfielder has impressed at Sunderland, whom he joined from boyhood club Birmingham City in the summer. Despite his tender years, Jobe Bellingham has already notched four goals in the Championship and become a regular with the Black Cats, who sit just outside the play-off places.

Bellingham's name and performances have attracted the attention of Europe's biggest hitters. In light of his older brother's mind-boggling success since making the switch to Real Madrid for €103 million in the summer, many elite clubs are keen to snap up quite literally the 'next Bellingham' in hopes that he can reach the level of Jude.

Real Madrid have been keeping tabs on the youngster for some time and they, of course, hold an obvious advantage over the competition given that they already have his brother on their books. However, Borussia Dortmund, Jude's previous club, have also been linked and so have several Premier League's heavyweights.

Chelsea enter the fray

The likes of Tottenham, Liverpool and Man Utd have all been credited with an interest in Jobe, with the latter two having also tried - in vain - to recruit his brother previously. According to TEAMtalk, Chelsea have entered the fray as well.

Since the Todd Boehly takeover, the Blues have made a habit of snapping up the world's biggest and brightest talents and Bellingham falls into that category of player. It is asserted that the London giants have been scouting the 18-year-old for two years.

The report even claims that the Blues had designs on signing both Bellingham brothers before Jude joined Madrid, with Chelsea's need to offload players in the summer making a proposed double deal impossible.

Jobe Bellingham signed a four-year contract in the summer and Sunderland, naturally, have no intention to let one of their star players leave mid-season, having just hired Michael Beale to take them back into the play-offs.