Man Utd considered a move for striker Brian Brobbey on a couple of occasions, but he will line up against them for Sunderland on Saturday.
Brian Brobbey is one of the few who trod a different path when leaving Ajax for the Premier League in recent years. After Erik ten Hag’s appointment as Manchester United manager in the summer of 2022, the journey from Amsterdam to Old Trafford felt like a well-worn one.
Lisandro Martinez and Antony took the direct route in Ten Hag’s first summer in charge, Andre Onana came via Milan a year later and Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui after a spell in Munich in 2025. Christian Eriksen had connections with Ajax, while Tyrell Malacia and Joshua Zirkzee added to the Dutch flavour.
But there were some who didn’t follow their former boss to United. Ryan Gravenberch ended up at Liverpool via Bayern Munich, Mohammed Kudus went directly to West Ham and, eventually, Brobbey moved to Sunderland.
Click here to find out the latest Manchester United news in our daily newsletter
Brobbey is the one who came closest to a move to Old Trafford. United were interested in the forward in Ten Hag’s first summer, when he returned to Ajax from RB Leipzig, and again in 2024, only to eventually move for Zirkzee.
United sources insist a move for the striker wasn’t particularly close on either occasion, but there was interest there. Brobbey even went so far as to call United his “dream club” in September 2022.
“Dream club? Manchester United. Erik sent me a message, yes, to congratulate me, and to tell me that he would like to have me at Manchester United. But I’m not finished at Ajax yet, I want to show something here first,” he said.
“I absolutely wanted to go to Ajax. Erik also wanted to work with me, texted once if I was open to it, but I thanked him nicely.”
When United made their move for Zirkzee in the summer of 2024, attracted by that Dutch forward’s form for Bologna and his low release clause, it put an end to Brobbey’s chances of coming to Old Trafford, perhaps for good.
That 2023/24 season had been his best at Ajax, with 22 goals in 43 games, but the following campaign saw him score just eight times in 44 games and he signed for Sunderland for a fee in the region of £17million. His first season in the Premier League has been solid, with six goals in 28 games, and his winner in the derby at St James’ Park has already earned him hero status.
Tomorrow, he will lead the line against the club he dreamed of joining, but for United, they might finally have found the solution to their own search for a striker.
If Brobbey proved to be a non-starter, then the £72million spent on Rasmus Hojlund and the £36.5million on Zirkzee didn’t provide the answer either. But Benjamin Sesko, a £73million addition from RB Leipzig, looks to have a bright future.
His first season in the Premier League has delivered 11 goals in 30 games, at a rate of one every 149 minutes. After years of searching, United might finally have a striker to lead them forward.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
;)
You must be logged in to post a comment Login