Sunderland are preparing for a new Premier League season that carries greater weight than any in recent memory, with European football now added to the equation.
Regis Le Bris steered his side to an unlikely Europa League berth, sealed by a final-day win over Chelsea that announced Sunderland as a genuine force in English football.
There were whispers during the spring that Le Bris’ position in the dugout could be under threat, but those murmurs now look utterly absurd in hindsight.
Brian Brobbey will return to Wearside carrying genuine momentum after a strong showing for the Netherlands at the 2026 World Cup, where he scored three goals in four appearances.
The 24-year-old joined Sunderland from Ajax for a total £21m package last summer and was described as “a freight-train when dribbling” by journalist Antonio Mango throughout his debut Premier League campaign.
Brobbey managed seven Premier League goals last season, but his value to Le Bris’ system extends well beyond the scoresheet, with his physicality and link-up play crucial to how Sunderland operate.
His World Cup performances showed a sharper, more clinical edge to his game, with shots struck at 1.0 per 90 minutes and an impressive 0.8 on target per 90, adding to his reputation as a complete centre-forward.
Le Bris will now be working to build around that returning threat, and the club’s pursuit of a potent wide forward could give Brobbey an ideal partner in attack this season.
TEAMtalk has reported that Sunderland have added Bodø/Glimt’s Jens Petter Hauge to their shortlist, with the club challenging Everton for the 26-year-old Norwegian forward.
It would cost approximately £30m to sign Hauge, and while Everton are pushing hard, Sunderland have sounded out his representatives and are eager to complete a move.
Hauge lit up the Champions League last season, scoring in a 3-1 win over Manchester City and winning 13 duels in that single dominant performance alone.
Former Tottenham manager Thomas Frank praised him as an “exceptional” talent, and Hauge backed that up with six European goals across the campaign to firmly establish his credentials.
He completed 2.4 dribbles and won 5.6 duels per Champions League game last season, statistics that suggest he would complement Brobbey’s physical and combative approach perfectly.
Sunderland’s only summer signing so far has been Thomas Meunier, the veteran Belgium defender who arrived on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract with Lille.
Hauge’s left-sided dynamism and aerial presence would address a genuine weakness in Sunderland’s attack, with their wingers lacking consistent goal threat throughout last season, and time is running short with Everton also firmly in the race.