Sunderland will be apprehensive heading into the nitty gritty of the transfer window that awaits them, knowing a number of their top talents could be poached, as a consequence of such a dreadful Championship season that has just passed.
The Stadium of Light wasn't exactly the most upbeat environment for a player to thrive in last campaign, with a number of managerial switches not exactly helping the Black Cats whatsoever in trying to leap into the top half of the table, but the likes of Jobe Bellingham, Jack Clarke and even 16-year-old Chris Rigg managed to lift the sour mood with top displays when needed.
Even as his brother lifts the Champions League with Real Madrid, and a spot in Gareth Southgate's England squad looks set in stone for the world-class talent, Sunderland's very own Bellingham is making strides of his own, with the likes of Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur battling it out for his signature now, despite only being situated in Wearside for one season.
The underwhelming Black Cats might be powerless to the situation unfolding in-front of their eyes, especially if significant wads of cash are thrown about for the teenage sensation soon.
The latest on Bellingham's future
TEAMTalk revealed recently that interest was coming in the form of Ange Postecoglou's Spurs and that contact had even been made, who have been noted as wanting a new midfielder for some time, with Bellingham potentially ticking all the correct boxes for them.
The report also further confirms Crystal Palace's interest, alongside throwing another London-based club from the top-flight into the mix in the form of Brentford, with journalist Ed Aarons further speculating that a fee in the region of £20m+ would be enough for Sunderland to part ways.
After tearing the Championship apart last season in patches by scoring seven goals, with inconsistent displays commonplace for a player still learning the ropes as 18 years of age, Sunderland will just be thankful that they would be able to make some hefty profit on the teenager if sold on in the off-season, having paid what looks now like a measly £3m to land him last year.
Sunderland will know that their in-demand youngster leaving won't be the be-all and end-all of their chances to have a positive season when a ball is kicked to start the 2024-25 campaign, however, worrying more so about losing another focal point in Clarke, after Bellingham starred but also faded into the background at points as his side slumped to a 16th overall placed finish.
Bellingham's numbers this season
Bellingham will also know that he was afforded the best possible platform to make errors and not be completely chucked to one side at the Stadium of Light, with the club's reputation for nurturing youngsters a selling point as to why he jumped ship from Birmingham to join his current employers in 2023.
Only missing one league game all season long, Bellingham's seven goals was a promising return for a starlet only playing his second proper full campaign in men's football, with a slightly lacklustre one assist mustered up showing there's room for improvement.
Shots total
1.39
Assists
0.02
Shot-creating actions
2.33
Passes completed
34.70
Pass completion %
85.9%
Progressive passes
3.60
Progressive carries
1.59
Progressive passes received
4.49
Struggling as well when isolated up top last season when picked as a lone centre-forward, seen in his poor passes completed number above, Bellingham bowed out of the campaign with no goals managed from his last seven second-tier clashes too.
Who could replace Bellingham
The gigantic leap up to the Premier League might come too soon for the 18-year-old, therefore, but if he is to move away this approaching transfer window, Sunderland will have plenty of replacements in mind, with current FC Basel man Liam Millar reportedly on their radar yet again after previously being on their agenda during his Liverpool youth days.
The Canadian attacking midfielder, who can be utilised as a second striker, a striker or down the wings much like Bellingham can be deployed, bettered his Sunderland counterpart's numbers in the Championship on loan at Preston North End, despite all the fanfare surrounding his name, with 10 goal contributions amassed for the Lilywhites in all competitions.
Ryan Lowe's men will want to keep him around permanently at Deepdale, but with Sunderland in need of a new tricky attacking midfielder if Bellingham ups and leave, the Stadium of Light could be a perfect next destination for Millar with his Basel contract running out next year and interest heating back up in his services.
Liam Millar's numbers this season for Preston
Not only could Millar fill the void left behind by Bellingham's exit, but he could also be a new star in attack the Black Cats need even more if the squad is depleted further by 15-goal star Clarke also leaving.
Millar blows Bellingham's FBRef numbers out of the water, when comparing the two, with the Canadian midfielder managing more shots totalled on average over the last year per 90 minutes at 2.12, more progressive passes received at 7.49 and much more to show to the Wearside outfit that losing their much-talked about starlet wouldn't be the end of the world, particularly if he can be replaced by someone as electric as Millar.
1. Jack Clarke
42
15
4
2. Jobe Bellingham
47
7
1
3. Pierre Ekwah
42
5
2
4. Daniel Neil
44
4
5
5. Abdoullah Ba
41
3
4
Liam Millar
36
5
5
Stats by BBC Sport
Millar would come in just below Clarke, and above Bellingham by two, if it was just based on Championship numbers during the regular season alone in Sunderland's top five scorers and assist-makers, and so getting in the 24-year-old – who was worth just £1.3m when Basel purchased him off Liverpool in 2021 – could be a smart and shrewd buy, having proven himself to be a nuisance in the second-tier with Preston.
This signing could also give Sunderland the upper hand over potential promotion rivals if the Black Cats are striving to be towards the spots at the top of the division, knowing that Millar absolutely terrorised Archie Gray when Preston played Leeds on Boxing Day in 2023, with the young defender dribbled past three times, as the Canadian attacker continually slalomed forward.
Sunderland will feel like they'll never truly see Bellingham at his best if he does move on, having only really been the club to set him on his way to stardom rather than actualising it.
But, bringing in Millar – who was once described as possessing the "X-Factor" by ex-Canada manager John Herdman – would be more than a satisfactory replacement if everything comes together smoothly.
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