Brian Brobbey

Key strength: Link-up play

Target man

Stranded in 12th place with a seesawing WLWDL form, Sunderland AFC's Championship campaign epitomizes the division's unforgiving nature. Yet amid the inconsistency, Brian Brobbey has emerged as the Black Cats' unwavering attacking beacon. The €20 million summer arrival from Ajax—whose market value already matches his transfer fee—has delivered 6 goals and 1 assist across 24 appearances, averaging a clinical strike every 216 minutes. With a 76-rated shooting ability and a playing style built on predatory instincts rather than volume, the 24-year-old Dutchman converts half-chances with the ruthlessness Sunderland desperately need. Remarkably disciplined—just two yellow cards all season—Brobbey brings maturity beyond his years to the centre-forward role. When Habib Diarra crafts openings from midfield, Brobbey is increasingly there to finish them. For a club desperate to escape the Championship wilderness, he's proving exactly the clinical weapon capable of transforming possession into promotion hopes.