Regis Le Bris and the recruitment team at Sunderland deserve huge praise for the work that they did in the summer transfer window last year, as they built a squad that qualified for Europe.
The Black Cats finished seventh in their first season back in the Premier League to secure Europa League football for the 2026/27 campaign, and they did so through brilliant recruitment.
Nordi Mukiele and Granit Xhaka were two of the experienced, proven, stars added to the group, but the club also took risks on players like Brian Brobbey and it worked out superbly.
brobbey-sunderland-spurs
The Dutch striker only scored four goals in the Eredivisie during the 2024/25 campaign, but that did not put Sunderland off a deal to bring him to Wearside.
Brobbey ended up playing an integral part in the club's success in the Premier League with seven goals in 31 games and a constant physical presence at the top end of the pitch.
Why Sunderland need to sign a better striker than Brian Brobbey
Despite the Netherlands international's impressive first year at the Stadium of Light, the Black Cats should be in the market for an upgrade on him in the summer transfer window.
Sunderland only scored 42 goals in the Premier League, the fourth-least in the division, and should look to improve their attack to ensure that they can sustain themselves in the top-flight.
Brobbey scored seven goals and missed 12 'big chances' in 31 appearances in the league for Le Bris, which shows that he was fairly wasteful in front of goal with the opportunities that came his way.
25/26 Premier League Brian Brobbey
Appearances 31
Goals 7
Big chances missed 12
Big chances created 2
Assists 1
Duels won per game 3.6
Duel success rate 43%
The 24-year-old forward did not deliver goals at an exceptional rate or show that he has the finishing ability to be a reliable goalscorer week-in-week-out, which should not have come as a surprise after his four-goal haul in the Eredivisie last term.
Sunderland, therefore, should be looking for a striker who is more likely to hit double figures for goals to elevate the attack in the Premier League, leaving Brobbey as a top-quality rotation option and Europa League starter.
Sunderland have held talks to sign a better striker than Brian Brobbey
In fact, the Black Cats have already been putting work in behind the scenes and have reportedly held talks with a player who is an even better number nine than the Dutchman.
Brian-Brobbey
Sunderland reportedly held talks to enquire about a deal for Juventus centre-forward Jonathan David back in March, and they should follow that up with a formal offer for his services in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The Canada international produced eight goals and five assists in all competitions for the Old Lady, more than Brobbey managed for Sunderland, and it was his worst season as a regular at first-team level.
|Jonathan David's goal record|
|Season|Club|Goals|
|---|
|25/26|Juventus|8|
|24/25|Lille|25|
|23/24|Lille|26|
|22/23|Lille|26|
|21/22|Lille|19|
|20/21|Lille|13|
David hit at least 13 goals in all five of his seasons with Lille in France, scoring 77 goals in his last three years combined, and has been a reliable goalscorer for the majority of his career to date.
The 26-year-old star, whose goalscoring numbers were described as "insane" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, also scored 13 or more goals in all five of his seasons in Ligue 1, which shows that he can be a consistent scorer at league level.
jonathan-david-juventus
Whilst his time at Juventus has not gone exactly to plan, as he failed to hit double figures for goals, the Canadian star still racked up 13 goal contributions without starting every week, starting 20 times in the Serie A.
Brobbey, meanwhile, has never scored more than seven goals in one of Europe's major leagues and never hit 20 goals in an Eredivisie campaign for Ajax, missing a staggering 61 'big chances' in his last two seasons in the Netherlands.
As much as he is a physical presence and will still have a major role to play for Sunderland next season, the Dutchman could find himself as the second-choice option in the Premier League due to his finishing woes.
jonathan-david-juventus-spurs
David is a proven goalscorer at the top level in Europe and would arrive as an exceptional addition to the squad, given his record for both Juventus and Lille, which is why the club must push to get a deal done for him when the summer transfer window opens for business.
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