SUNDERLAND HAVE agreed a fee with Borussia Dortmund for midfielder Jobe Bellingham, which could eventually amount to €38 million.

The PA news agency understands the Black Cats have negotiated a club-record fee of €33 million with a further €5 million in add-ons for the 19-year-old younger brother of England international Jude Bellingham.

That initial fee would make him the Bundesliga club’s second most expensive signing behind Ousmane Dembele, while the add-ons would establish a new record for Dortmund.

The deal, which includes a 15% sell-on clause for the Wearside club, will see Bellingham tread the same path as his brother, who spent three seasons at Dortmund before winning his dream move to Real Madrid during the summer of 2023.

Both Bellinghams began their careers at Birmingham, with Jobe opting to move to Sunderland two summers ago.

He played a major part in the club’s Sky Bet Championship success last season, but his emerging talent has been monitored closely by a series of suitors — he has also spoken to Eintracht Frankfurt, and RB Leipzig are admirers — and his departure became increasingly inevitable.

However, the Black Cats were determined not to let him go for less than their valuation, and the price has risen significantly from Dortmund’s opening bid, which is understood to have amounted to €20 million.

Under owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, Sunderland have adopted a model of buying young talent and developing it — they have already sold Tommy Watson, who scored the winning goal in the play-off final against Sheffield United, to Brighton.