Newcastle United eye four-goal Sunderland ace after St James' Park snub & Liverpool 'talks'

Newcastle United are reportedly continuing to monitor the progress of Jobe Bellingham after losing out on the youngster to rivals Sunderland over the summer.

Bellingham could start up front for The Black Cats in Saturday's Tyne-Wear derby against Newcastle at the Stadium of Light (12:45pm kick-off). The 18-year-old has impressed since his £1.5million arrival from Birmingham City in the summer, scoring four goals in 25 Championship appearances.

Bellingham is the younger brother of England and Real Madrid superstar Jude. And Mail Online have reported that Newcastle spoke to the pair's family as they looked to sign the teenager over the summer.

At Newcastle, Bellingham would have been viewed as a signing for the future rather than one to be part of Eddie Howe's first-team this season. However, the club's current injury situation has seen the likes of 17-year-old Lewis Miley become a regular under Howe in recent months.

Ultimately, Bellingham snubbed a move to Newcastle in favour of regular first-team football with Sunderland. But The Magpies have continued to monitor the highly-rated youngster's progress at the Stadium of Light along with several other Premier League sides. Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have also been linked with moves for the player.

Following his move to Sunderland, Bellingham told Sky Sports: "It was a big decision for me. Emotionally it was tough, but from a football perspective, it was a no-brainer, with the chances Sunderland give young players, and with the direction the club want to go in.

"Young players need to be in an environment to show what they're capable of, and in this team, you can. We play without pressure, and it looks like mates in the park at times, which sometimes can be a bad thing! But it's a really good feeling."

United are likely to get a first-hand look at Bellingham in action during Saturday's FA Cup third round clash against Sunderland. It is the first derby meeting between the two sides since 2016.