Sunderland Close in on Dayann Methalie Signing

Sunderland are closing in on a signing that will sting on Tyneside as much as it excites Wearside.

Dayann Methalie, the Toulouse defender long tracked by Newcastle United, is set to join Régis Le Bris at the Stadium of Light in a deal worth about £26m. The France Under-21 international has been one of the most watched young defenders in Europe this summer; Sunderland look ready to move from admirers to owners.

Sunderland steal a march

Newcastle’s recruitment team had scouted Methalie heavily and explored a move in January. On paper, he looked tailor‑made for their youth-focused model: 20 years old, 27 Ligue 1 appearances last season, and a price bracket neatly inside their preferred £20m-£40m range.

Yet when the window opened, Newcastle stepped back. No bid. No late push. The club have indicated they decided against going for him, leaving a gap that Sunderland have driven straight through.

Sunderland can offer something powerful in any negotiation: European football. Methalie is understood to have verbally agreed a five-year contract and the chance to play Europa League games under a compatriot in Le Bris, in a dressing room already thick with French voices. Enzo Le Fée, Nordi Mukiele and Habib Diarra are in place; Thomas Meunier has just arrived on a free from Lille. Methalie would be Le Bris’s second signing of the summer, but arguably the statement one.

A defender built for modern systems

At 6ft 2in, Methalie brings range and presence, but it is the blend of attributes that has caught the eye. He can operate as a traditional left-back, a marauding wing-back or a left-sided centre-half. Coaches like his recovery pace. Opponents feel his physicality. Team-mates trust his left foot.

That versatility gives Le Bris options. In a back three, Methalie can step out with the ball and defend wide channels. In a back four, he can lock down the flank or slide inside when Sunderland build from the back. He will not walk into the team without a fight, though. Reinildo stands between him and the status of first-choice left-back, and the battle between the two should set the tone for Sunderland’s defensive standards this season.

Newcastle’s search goes on

Across the divide, Newcastle’s work is only half done. They still need cover on both sides of the defence. Right-back is a particular concern for Eddie Howe after Kieran Trippier’s departure at the end of last season. The security blanket has gone; Newcastle must now find a new organiser and outlet on that flank.

At left-back, Methalie’s move to Sunderland underlines the gap Newcastle have yet to fill. They passed on a player they knew well. The market will not wait for them.

Guimarães and Willock in the balance

The bigger question on Tyneside hangs over Bruno Guimarães. Howe’s hopes of keeping his captain appear tied to Arsenal’s appetite to pay close to £80m. The 28-year-old has been on holiday in Brazil following the World Cup and is due back at Newcastle on Friday, before flying out with the first-team squad to a training camp in La Manga.

If Arsenal decide to test Newcastle’s resolve at that price, the shape of Howe’s midfield – and perhaps the club’s ambitions for the season – changes overnight. If they walk away, Guimarães returns as the emotional and tactical pivot of the side.

Joe Willock’s future feels less secure. Newcastle have already turned down an offer of around £10m from Besiktas for the former Arsenal midfielder, but that rejection was not a flat refusal. The club are open to a sale, just not at that figure. A bid closer to £20m could yet prise him from St James’ Park.

So Sunderland look set to land a key piece of their European puzzle, while Newcastle juggle gaps in defence and high-stakes decisions in midfield. One club has taken a calculated risk on a 20-year-old defender. The other may soon be forced into far bigger ones.