Bellingham signs new Sunderland contract
Jobe Bellingham has put pen to paper on fresh terms with Sunderland, signing a new contract with the club until 2028.
Bellingham, the younger brother of Real Madrid's Jude, made 45 EFL Championship appearances last season, and having only arrived at Sunderland a year ago, made an instant impact in his debut campaign.
He registered eight league goal contributions – seven goals and one assist – last campaign, a total only bettered by Jack Clarke's 19 – 15 goals and four assists – in the Sunderland squad.
The 18-year-old was the subject of Premier League interest during the transfer window, with both Crystal Palace and Brentford reportedly targeting a move for the midfielder, but has chosen to remain with the Black Cats.
He grabbed his first assist of the 2024-2025 campaign in Sunderland's 2-0 win against Cardiff City on the opening day, picking out Clarke in the 89th minute to secure the victory.
That performance saw Bellingham win more duels (nine) than any player on the pitch, while also recording a 100 per cent success rate from his six passes into the final third.
“I’m buzzing to sign this contract and extend my stay at Sunderland," Bellingham said.
"I feel like I have a lot of unfinished business and I believe we can achieve some great things this season.
"This is such an amazing city and I’m so proud to represent the people within it.
"Everyone has made me feel right at home and I couldn’t imagine playing for a club where it didn’t mean as much as it does to our fans.
"I enjoy playing for Sunderland and I can’t wait to get back to the Stadium of Light this weekend.”
Sunderland faces Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday, with the opportunity to win its opening two games of a second tier campaign for the first time since 1974-1975, under Bob Stokoe.
