Sunderland agree €20m deal to sign Ajax striker Brian Brobbey | OneFootball

Sunderland have reached an agreement with Ajax to sign Dutch striker Brian Brobbey in a late deadline-day deal.

The 23-year-old will join for an initial fee of €20 million, with a further €5m in add-ons included in the agreement (h/t journalist Fabrizio Romano).

Brobbey has flown to England for a medical this morning. Sunderland are confident that the transfer will be finalised well before the 7.00 pm deadline.

The move comes after the club agreed to Chelsea’s request to terminate Marc Guiu’s loan spell at the Stadium of Light.

Guiu had only joined earlier in the summer but is returning to Stamford Bridge after Liam Delap’s injury left Chelsea short of attacking cover.

Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris had been left with only Eliezer Mayenda and Wilson Isidor as forward options going into the final day of the transfer window.

Brobbey’s signing provides a major boost to the Black Cats’ squad. He is a product of Ajax’s academy and made his Eredivisie debut in 2020.

He joined RB Leipzig in 2021 but returned to Ajax on loan just months later before making the move permanent in 2022 for around €19 million.

Brobbey scored 56 goals across 163 appearances for Ajax in all competitions since 2022. He was named Ajax’s Player of the Year last season.

The striker has also represented the Netherlands at senior level, winning eight caps and scoring once for the national side.

He has not featured for Ajax this season due to an ankle injury and was made available for transfer as part of a wider rebuild.

Brobbey is a powerful and lethal forward, and Sunderland view him as an ideal replacement for Guiu.

His arrival is a statement of ambition by the club’s hierarchy on a hectic deadline day.

Brobbey now looks set to lead the line as Sunderland push to strengthen their attack for the rest of the campaign.