Borussia Dortmund's chances of signing Sunderland star Jobe Bellingham are now hanging in the balance, according to reports in Germany.
The Bundesliga giants had hoped to bring the England Under-21 star to Germany, to follow in the illustrious footsteps his brother Jude. Dortmind signed Jude from Birmingham City in 2020 for around £25m - and a similar fee could secure the services of Jobe this summer.
Sunderland are keen to keep hold on to their prize asset, of course, with the Black Cats aiming to build a team for the long-term future under Regis Le Bris. However, much depends on whether they can win promotion to the Premier League, with the play-offs looking the most likely avenue.
While the Black Cats are looking ahead, they are also not averse to selling top stars if they can maximise the transfer fee, as shown with Jack Clarke last summer. The money would be reinvested in the squad, although Jobe is a key player for Le Bris.
However, his rise has been so rapid that Dortmund are already feeling as though they could be out of the equation. They took something of a gamble on Jude Bellingham, and while it paid off spectacularly, Jobe has already shown that he has the potential to play at the highest level.
That has alerted several Premier League clubs who are likely to be able to offer more than the German side want to pay. Get Football News Germany report that the Bundlesiga club could turn their attentions elsewhere, leaving Premier League sides to scrap it out - should Sunderland be interested in selling.
Manchester United, Crystal Palace and West Ham have been linked with the 19-year-old, who is expected to be a Premier League player next season. That could still be with Sunderland, of course, but many expect him to move on.
