Sunderland Move Close to Dayann Methalie Deal After Newcastle Step Back

What happened: Sunderland are close to signing Dayann Methalie from Toulouse, according to The Guardian, with the deal expected to cost about £26m. Methalie is a France Under-21 defender who made 27 Ligue 1 appearances last season and has drawn broad interest during the summer window.

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The Newcastle angle is what gives the move its edge. Newcastle had extensively scouted Methalie and reportedly tried to sign him in January, but the club have indicated they decided against pursuing him this summer and have not submitted a bid. That leaves Sunderland positioned to land a player long linked with their north-east rivals.

Why it matters: Methalie's profile is the important part. The source describes him as able to play left-back or wingback, while also operating centrally. That kind of flexibility matters across a long league season because it gives a manager cover across systems without requiring a separate specialist for every role.

For Sunderland, the reported fee also signals ambition. A move around £26m is not a low-risk punt; it is a serious commitment to a young defender with top-flight experience in France. If completed, it would be framed less as squad padding and more as an attempt to raise the technical and athletic level of the back line.

Newcastle's decision is harder to judge from the outside. The Guardian notes Methalie looked like a fit for Newcastle's policy of targeting young players in the £20m-£40m bracket, but the club backed away and remain in the market for defensive reinforcements. That does not prove a misstep. It does mean Newcastle still have a need to solve while Sunderland may be about to secure one of the names they studied closely.

What to watch: The key follow-up is whether Sunderland complete the agreement with Toulouse and how quickly personal terms and registration details move. If the deal gets over the line, the next question is role: left-back, wingback, or a hybrid defender who can cover multiple positions depending on match state and opponent.

Confidence: The source confirms Sunderland are poised to sign Methalie, the expected cost is about £26m, Newcastle had tracked him, and no Newcastle bid has been submitted this summer. The deal is not described as officially completed, so fee structure, contract length, medical status, and final registration still need confirmation.