Sunderland Nears Signing of Toulouse Defender Dayann Methalie
Sunderland are on the brink of landing Dayann Methalie from under Newcastle’s nose, with the Toulouse defender poised to join Régis Le Bris’s new-look side in a deal worth about £26m.
The 20-year-old, a France Under-21 international, has been one of the most closely watched young defenders in Ligue 1. Comfortable at left-back, wing-back or on the left of a central pairing, he made 27 league appearances for Toulouse last season and drew scouts from across Europe. Newcastle were among the most persistent.
They tracked him for months, sent staff to watch him repeatedly and, according to reports, explored a January move. On paper, he looked tailor-made for their recruitment model: young, high ceiling, and priced neatly in that £20m-£40m band the club now prefers.
And yet, when the moment came, Newcastle stepped away. Club sources have indicated they decided not to pursue a deal this summer and have not lodged a bid. Sunderland moved into the space they left behind.
Le Bris is now close to securing Methalie on a five-year contract at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland can offer something Newcastle cannot this season: Europa League football. For a 6ft 2in defender trying to accelerate his development, the prospect of regular European games and a clear pathway into the starting XI carries weight.
So does the environment. Methalie would walk into a dressing room with a strong French-speaking core. Enzo Le Fée, Nordi Mukiele and Habib Diarra are already in place, while Le Bris himself offers a familiar voice on the training ground. For a young player crossing the Channel, that kind of cultural and linguistic comfort can shorten the adaptation curve.
He will not be handed the left-back slot, though. Reinildo stands in his way. The Mozambican has the experience and defensive nous to make life difficult for any challenger. Yet Methalie brings a blend that is hard to ignore: sharp recovery pace, a powerful frame and a composed left foot that allows him to step inside and operate as a left-sided centre-back in both a back three and a back four.
Le Bris has already started reshaping his defence, with Belgium right-back Thomas Meunier arriving on a free after leaving Lille. Methalie would be the second piece of that rebuild, but a far more expensive and long-term investment.
Across the Tyne, the mood is different. Newcastle still need full-back cover on both flanks. Right-back is the more urgent concern for Eddie Howe after Kieran Trippier’s departure at the end of last season ripped out a leader, a set-piece specialist and a tactical reference point all in one go.
The left side is also thin, yet the club has chosen not to fight Sunderland for Methalie. Their summer, instead, is being shaped by one dominant question: what happens with Bruno Guimarães?
The captain’s future continues to hinge on Arsenal’s willingness to go near an £80m fee. Guimarães, 28, has been on holiday in Brazil after the World Cup and is due back on Tyneside on Friday before joining the first-team squad at a training camp in La Manga. Until Arsenal make a decisive move – or walk away – Newcastle’s room to manoeuvre in the market remains tight.
Joe Willock sits in a similar grey area. Newcastle have already turned down an offer of around £10m from Besiktas for the former Arsenal midfielder, a figure that falls well below their valuation. They are, however, open to a sale if the price climbs closer to £20m.
So Sunderland edge towards a statement signing, building a young, continental-flavoured squad for European nights, while Newcastle watch a long-term target head down the A19. One club leans into its new identity; the other waits to discover whether its midfield lynchpin will still be there when the season starts.
