Sunderland Plans Man City Midfielder Charlie Gray Replace Jobe Bellingham

Sunderland is preparing for the expected summer departure of midfielder Jobe Bellingham, who is set to join Borussia Dortmund following in the footsteps of his older brother Jude, with a transfer fee reported around €33-40 million. In response, Sunderland is targeting Manchester City’s young talent Charlie Gray, a 19-year-old midfielder who has impressed at youth level but has yet to make a first-team appearance for City. Gray, described as a calm, ball-playing defensive midfielder, has been with Manchester City since age eight and recently helped their Under-21 team win the Premier League 2 title. Despite his promise, experts caution that Gray may need significant development before becoming an immediate Premier League starter, as he has not been capped by England at youth level nor included in City's senior squads. Sunderland’s pursuit of Gray is part of a broader strategy to use the funds from Bellingham’s sale to strengthen the squad for Premier League competition. Meanwhile, Sunderland is also looking to secure its homegrown talents, offering improved contracts to young players like goalkeeper Chris Rigg as the club transitions to the top flight.