Brian Brobbey has emerged on the transfer shortlist of Juventus following his impressive hat-trick for Sunderland at Manchester City before the international break.
Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey has reportedly attracted interest from Serie A giant Juventus, with scouts sent to watch the Dutchman during the international break, according to Italian outlet Gazzetta.
The report outlines that Juventus sent executive scouts to watch the Netherlands' UEFA Nations League clash against Germany to gather notes on both Brobbey and Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk - whose contract at Anfield expires in June - ahead of the upcoming mid-season transfer window.
Unfortunately for the Sunderland frontman, his outing lasted only 35 minutes, with Brobbey withdrawn for the Netherlands due to a hamstring concern, which has left the Stadium of Light hierarchy nervously awaiting the diagnosis of his injury.
Additionally, the report indicates that Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti has given his "full approval" on Brobbey, whose name sits on the Old Lady's transfer shortlist after his impressive showings in the red-and-white stripes.
Brobbey netted a hat-trick for Sunderland at Manchester City in the 5-3 defeat before the international break to get off the mark for the season in emphatic style, and it is unsurprising for those types of performances, combined with his unique physicality, to attract transfer attention from European elite akin to Juventus.
Brian Brobbey completes hat-trick at Manchester City (Action Images via Reuters)Financial Factors At Play Amid Brian Brobbey Juventus Links
Regarding Juventus' interest in Brobbey, there are multiple financial factors at play in the event of the Sunderland striker deciding to move on from the Stadium of Light in the coming windows.
First of all, the former Ajax ace remains under contract at Sunderland until the summer of 2030, meaning that the Stadium of Light transfer team could command a sizeable fee for their star striker should Juventus come calling.
The initial report outlines that there is a €40/£34m price tag on Brobbey's shoulders, but given the 24-year-old's goalscoring and hold-up exploits in the Premier League since arriving at Sunderland, the Black Cats would more than likely demand a fee closer to the region of £40m-£50m to consider letting their current top scorer leave.
| Key statistic | Brian Brobbey for Sunderland |
|---|---|
| Games | 38 |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 1 |
Brobbey's entourage also reportedly hold a close relationship with Juventus, given that his agents also represent Juve duo Khephren Thuram and Jeremie Boga, so this could admittedly come into play negatively for Sunderland in the event of a future transfer saga.
It is an unfortunate reality of Sunderland's place in the foodchain of European football that some of the standout talents in Regis Le Bris' squad may and will move on to elite-level clubs over the next few seasons of the Stadium of Light.
Given his goalscoring importance and unique profile, Sunderland would hate to lose the bullish Dutchman, who has given no indication that he is anything other than content on Wearside, but it now remains to be seen how long the Black Cats can keep hold of Brobbey with growing interest in his signature.
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