Sunderland Agree €20m Deal to Sign Ajax Forward Brian Brobbey

Sunderland have secured a deadline-day agreement with Ajax to sign Dutch striker Brian Brobbey in a deal worth an initial €20m (£17.1m).

The 23-year-old is set to move to the Stadium of Light as part of a late attacking reshuffle, following Sunderland’s decision to honour Chelsea’s request to terminate Marc Guiu’s loan spell on Thursday evening. The deal for Brobbey also includes a further €5m (£4.3m) in potential add-ons.

Brobbey has been granted permission to travel to the North East and is scheduled to undergo a medical on Friday morning. Sunderland officials are confident the transfer will be finalised well before the 7pm deadline.

Brobbey’s Career So Far

A graduate of Ajax’s famed youth academy, Brobbey made his senior debut in the Eredivisie in October 2020. He moved to RB Leipzig in the summer of 2021 but returned to Ajax on loan later that year. The switch was made permanent in the summer of 2022 for a reported €19m.

Over the course of his career, Brobbey has registered 54 goals from 98 starts and 70 substitute appearances. He was named Ajax’s Player of the Year for the 2023–24 season, during which he was strongly linked with a transfer to Arsenal.

The forward has earned eight senior caps for the Netherlands, scoring once. However, he has yet to feature in any of Ajax’s matches this season, with the Dutch club making him available for transfer.

Sunderland’s Striking Options

Brobbey will bolster a Sunderland attacking line that had been reduced to just Eliezer Mayenda and Wilson Isidor, following the early termination of Guiu’s loan deal. His arrival is expected to provide a significant boost as the Black Cats look to strengthen their push in the Championship campaign.