Sunderland need to make some headway in the transfer market, else they will struggle to come close to the heights of the 2025/26 campaign.

Having been carried into the Premier League by Regis Le Bris' managerial brilliance, Sunderland not only survived but thrived on their return to the big time, finishing seventh last season and securing a seat at the Europa League table.

But this has been a difficult summer. The Black Cats have retained the bulk of their first-team squad, though they have failed to make any considerable progress, landing veteran full-back Thomas Meunier on a free transfer. That is all.

However, retention has also been a defining factor for the Wearsiders this summer, and they have done well on that front, rebuffing Chelsea's interest in captain Granit Xhaka and fending off suitors for Brian Brobbey.

Why Sunderland cannot afford to sell Brobbey

Whatever happens over the final few weeks of the transfer window, Sunderland must not sell Brobbey. The likes of Bayern Munich and Juventus have already made their interest known in recent months,

Journalist Antonio Mango believes Brobbey looks like "a freight-train when dribbling". This is one of the strongest and most imposing strikers in the Premier League, and his fighter's stance in the penalty area has been a big factor for a high-flying Sunderland side since their return to the top level.

The 23-year-old only scored seven times in the Premier League last season, but he certainly left his mark on the division, bruising any number of opponents with his unrelenting physicality.

Brobbey will need to raise his goalscoring game this term, though. Sunderland are as industrious and determined a team as you'll find on English shores, but they left something to be desired in terms of creativity and offensive sharpness last year.

In fairness, the Dutchman showed at the World Cup that he has what it takes to score goals with more consistency. But he needs support for that to happen.

Le Bris knows this. He is aware of the need for faster-flowing traffic into the penalty area, and may well have found a shrewd solution to that problem, with the Premier League season now only one week away.

Sunderland in talks to sign perfect Brobbey partner

Sunderland need another forward, and it's clear that Le Bris and co are sniffing around the market for a right-sider. A number of possibilities have been considered, with the Black Cats having opened fresh talks in recent days.

According to TEAMtalk, Sunderland are among a number of clubs understood to have enquired about Marseille's Timothy Weah's availability this summer. Weah spent the 2025/26 term on loan with the French side, completing an obligation to buy from Juventus this summer.

Sunderland have not yet entered formal negotiations. Basically, this means they have gathered relevant information and are now weighing up a move. Foot Mercato have confirmed Marseille would consider his sale for around €20m (£17m).

Weah is one of the most dynamic attackers out there. He can play as a centre-forward, but has spent an number of hours on field as a wideman both left-sided and right.

He has created seven big chances in the French top flight last season, winning 51% of his duels. Sunderland could do with such an industrious presence who boasts a degree of creativity that Le Bris' side struggled to maintain last season.

After all, they were one of the least creative sides in the Premier League last season, their xG (expected goals) total above only the three relegated outfits.

By combining with Brobbey, Weah could establish himself as one of the most underrated attackers in the Premier League. Chemsdine Talbi, who played predominantly down the right last season, certainly caught the eye, but the fact he failed to create a single big chance proved a damning illustration of Sunderland's wider creative deficiencies.

Weah has been around the block. He's played for several big outfits, and though his career has been something of a mixed bag, showcased plenty of potential with Marseille in France, dazzling with his energy and creativity down the right wing.

Neymar Jr. once claimed that Weah "has everything to go and become one of the best attacking players in Europe." That hasn't happened, but Sunderland are very much a family, and by welcoming Weah, they might take a big step forward at the start of an exciting campaign.