Teenage defender Luke Bell has signed his first professional contract with Sunderland.
The 18-year-old centre-back became a regular starter for the Black Cats’ under-21s side during the 2023/24 season, starting all four play-off matches as Graeme Murty’s side reached the final of Premier League 2. Bell’s contract will run until 2026, with the option of a further year.
Reacting to the news, Sunderland’s academy manager Robin Nicholls told the club’s website: “Luke has made great progress during his time with the club, particularly in the past few months where he has played an important role in the U21 team that progressed to the play-off final of PL2.
“He has captained our under-18s team this season and continued to develop himself individually under the tutelage of the PDP staff across all domains. It is great that Luke has signed his first professional contract, and we look forward to challenging him further in the coming seasons.”
