Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey has caught the eye for the Netherlands in recent days.

There’s a buzz around Brian Brobbey at the moment, perhaps even more so than usual. To flex his considerable might on a weekly basis at the Stadium of Light, punishing and pummelling any defender daft enough to get in his way, is one thing - to do it at a World Cup is seemingly quite another.

The Sunderland striker crashed his way onto the grandest stage with a quickfire brace in the Netherlands’ mauling of Sweden last weekend and a subsequent goal against Tunisia on Thursday - quadrupling his international tally in the process - and ever since, the discourse surrounding him has become more and more ubiquitous. On punditry panels, the likes of Roy Keane and Mario Melchiot have been singing his praises, while in the Dutch media, Virgil van Dijk has described his peerless physicality with a kind of intimidated reverence. And then there are the gossip columns. According to various speculative whispers doing the rounds in recent days, the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have taken a shine to Brobbey, while German behemoths Bayern Munich continue to be touted as prospective suitors.

In some respects, it is quite flattering. There is still a giddy novelty to seeing Sunderland’s very own number nine on the score sheet at a major tournament - especially for a nation as richly steeped in footballing heritage as the Dutch. This time two years ago, the Black Cats had just bid farewell to underwhelming loanee Mason Burstow and were wondering whether recent acquisitions Nazariy Rusyn and Luis Hemir Semedo would ever come good in red and white. Now they have a centre-forward garnering international recognition with his characteristic nonchalant ease at the very pinnacle of the sport.

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In other ways, it’s a little worrying. Sunderland may be a Europa League outfit these days - still sounds good, doesn’t it? - but compared to the traditional heavyweights of the continental game, they are always likely to be susceptible to the possibility of a plundering from one of the proper big lads. In a World Cup summer, that threat feels as if it grows even keener. If the likes of a Bayern or a United truly are keeping tabs on Brobbey, then performances like the one he produced against the Swedes on Saturday evening are only going to convince them further that he has the pedigree required to make the kind of impact they are seeking. It is a tale as old as time that players earn illustrious moves off the back of eye-catching runs at tournaments - and there is a reason why that is the case.

The good news from a Sunderland perspective, however, is that even if interest in Brobbey becomes concrete, they have carved out for themselves a strong negotiating position. The forward’s current contract on Wearside runs until 2029, and as things stand, there are no indications whatsoever that he has designs on engineering an exit over the coming months. As such, the Black Cats can, in essence, name their price and stick to it, should things ever get that far.

But nevertheless, Brobbey’s sudden emergence at the World Cup makes for an interesting quandary back home in the North East. It is an instinctive reaction to root for Sunderland players in their international exploits, and yet there is also a niggling sense that too much individual success could pave the way for premature and unwanted exits from the Stadium of Light. The best talents garner admiration from the best clubs, and increasingly the Black Cats have a squad bursting with names that fall under that umbrella - including, of course, their increasingly popular centre-forward.

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