Why Brobbey will be delighted if Sunderland sign £30m star

Sunderland will hope against hope that Granit Xhaka stays at the Stadium of Light next season, but perhaps there is optimism on that front now that Chelsea have turned their eye elsewhere.

The Premier League proved a happy hunting ground for Regis Le Bris‘ side last season, with a win over Chelsea on the final game of the season securing unlikely passage into the Europa League.

To think that there were a few rogue rumours emerging during the spring suggesting Le Bris’ position in the dugout could be uncertain. The man has shattered expectations and now soars higher still.

There are issues to sort out ahead of the new Premier League season, though, one month away. In attack, they need to be sharper, more fluid. Luckily, Brian Brobbey is heading back to Wearside after an emphatic World Cup campaign.

How Sunderland can benefit from Brobbey’s World Cup campaign

Brobbey has been a revelation for Sunderland since joining them from Ajax for a total £21m package last summer.

Though the 24-year-old only scored seven goals in the Premier League last season, he has been described as “a freight-train when dribbling” by journalist Antonio Mango, and he was a leading man for a successful Sunderland team last year.

So impressive were his performances that Netherlands decided to front their system with him at the World Cup. It ended up being a deflating effort from Oranje, but Brobbey’s stock has only risen.

He was not just prolific but clinical too. His shots were struck cleanly, with power and precision, and it will not be lost on Le Bris back at home that the muscular forward’s goal threat is not the defining aspect of his skillset.

His link-up play and ability to outwork defenders by using his physicality and presence cannot not be understated, but we are now seeing a glimmer of a goalscoring talisman who could ensure Sunderland make further gains next year, rather than suffer from the dreaded second-season syndrome.

Sunderland might not be the most potent force in the Premier League, but there is an industrious approach to the game that Le Bris has utilised to drive his side forward.

If Brobbey can take his World Cup form back to the Stadium of Light, they could level-up in that regard, though, especially if the decision-makers bring over the right partner this summer.

Sunderland in talks to sign dream Brobbey partner

So far this summer, Sunderland have only signed Thomas Meunier, bagging the veteran Belgium defender following the expiry of his contract with Lille in France.

The wait for offensive reinforcements rages on. But the wait could be worth it, with TEAMtalk reporting that Sunderland have added Bodø/Glimt’s Jens Petter Hauge to their shortlist, challenging Everton for the dynamic forward.

It would take £30m to prise the 26-year-old away from the Norwegian, and while Everton are pushing, Sunderland have also sounded out his representatives and are eager to complete a move.

Hauge is a left-sided forward who announced himself on the major stage last season in the Champions League, dazzling at the heart of a drubbing over Manchester City, scoring and winning 13 duels in a romping 3-1 win.

Hauge is a potent attacker, but he would also match Brobbey in instilling more physicality and power across Le Bris’ frontline.

Former Tottenham manager Thomas Frank lauded him as an “exceptional” talent after his Champions League performances, and six goals in total out in Europe last year underscores his potential as a star in Le Bris’ set-up.

He completed 2.4 dribbles and won 5.6 duels per Champions league game last season, and so would feed into the meaty edge that Brobbey provides. It feels very Sunderland coded, but Everton’s strengths would also align with Hauge’s own, so there is no time to waste.

Sunderland’s wingers lacked potency in front of goal last season. Hauge would change that, and alongside Brobbey, could be a star at home and out on the continent.