At the end of a summer transfer which saw Sunderland embark on an unprecedented spending spree, we were able to reflect on a recruitment drive that saw more or less every base covered, every box ticked and ambition shown in spades.
A highly-rated young goalkeeper? Check. A marquee addition in the midfield who’ll drive the standards and has already shown superb leadership skills? Check. A plethora of young, dynamic midfielders and wingers with the potential for future growth? Yes. Some defensive nous,
experience and physicality? Got it.
Of course, as the window progressed and areas of potential weakness were addressed, one issue that dominated the agenda was that of a ‘proven striker’ and whether we’d eventually sign a centre forward who could provide Eliezer Mayenda and Wilson Isidor with a reliable wingman, and the team with a dependable source of goals.
In the end, it was a case of waiting for the dominoes to fall and after Marc Guiu’s loan spell was cut short by Chelsea, the club hierarchy moved to atone for the loss, adding Ajax striker Bryan Brobbey to the red and white ranks in a deadline-day swoop. In theory, an exciting addition who could provide even more firepower, but it’s probably fair to say that it won’t be that cut and dried.
YouTube compilations of Brobbey’s exploits at the Amsterdam giants comprise plenty of impressive goals as well as some glaring misses, but as is always the way, he’ll doubtless be phased gradually into the reckoning and we’ll need to wait and see how he’s shaping up after four or five games before passing judgement. Physically, he looks imposing, with a powerful build, and perhaps that’ll be well-suited to the hustle and bustle of the English top flight.
It would be remiss at this stage to overlook the fact that the Netherlands-United Kingdom footballing commuter route has often been a turbulent road for strikers, with many Eredivisie hotshots failing to bring their goalscoring form to the Premier League. Defences in the top flight are far more streetwise and chances are often at far more of a premium — something to which plenty of strikers have fallen victim.
For every Ruud van Nistelrooy and Luis Suarez, there’s been an Afonso Alves or a Jozy Alditore, and one can understand why there’ll be a few nerves jangling after we wrapped up an astonishingly proactive summer by offering Brobbey the chance of a new start at the Stadium of Light, but in an elite environment with coaches who can hopefully bring the best out of him, it could easily represent a shrewd deal for Sunderland.
Frankly, I feel the addition of Brobbey — whose Ajax stats are as impressive as his physical stature and whom still has plenty of time on his side at twenty three — was as good as we could’ve done, given how volatile the market for strikers currently is.
This isn’t a golden era for high-class centre forwards at any rate, but given the fees being spent by rival Premier League clubs for relatively unproven talent, it doesn’t feel as though we’ve paid spectacularly over the odds — if we’ve done so at all — to secure his services.
A recent downturn in form, doubtless prompted by some terrifying events in his personal life, evidently knocked Brobbey out of his stride.
A poor 2024/2025 season was the result, but in his favour is the fact that Régis Le Bris has established a reputation for unlocking levels of performance that we might not have anticipated (Mayenda being a case in point) and given that Isidor and Mayenda have looked good thus far, there won’t be a crushing weight of expectation on Brobbey’s shoulders.
With that in mind, he ought to be fired up, determined to show why he was once hailed as a rising star in the Netherlands, and eager to bring his best goalscoring form to Wearside. He’ll certainly be made to feel very welcome at the Stadium of Light and with the prospect of his arrival providing even greater competition for places, it should inspire his fellow attackers to maintain their current standards and work even harder to impress.
Should all this come together, we’ll be able to boast an impressive-looking forward line for 2025/2026 — one that could easily find the back of the net frequently enough to keep us away from danger. Brobbey has a key role to play, and I’m looking forward to him donning the red and white and getting his first taste of competitive action for Sunderland.
A great chance for a talented footballer. Let’s hope he makes the most of it.
