METHALIE CONFIRMED

Sunderland have confirmed their second signing of the summer, the first to command a transfer fee, with Dayann Methalie signing a long-term contract.

The 20-year-old Frenchman only has one season of senior football under his belt, where he has excelled as an attack-minded wingback for Toulouse. His pace and physicality give him the raw attributes to be a top talent and Methalie has been touted to be a future France international defender.

Although he has played in an attacking role in Toulouse's first team, Methalie played centre back when coming through the youth ranks. Standing at 6ft 2in, he is a physical presence and his future could either lie at fullback or centre back.

Of course, this signing was delayed and looked to be off at one point. Pictures emerged of the player posing with the new shirt at the SoL, but then it was revealed that the medical team found an issue with his medical. Now, though, all problems seem to have been ironed out and Methalie will wear the number six shirt for the 2026/27 season.

The signing gives us more defensive depth and cover for Reinildo Mandava. With Methalie commanding a significant transfer fee, the second-highest in our history after Habib Diarra, he will expect to eventually come into the starting XI. However, in the meantime Reinildo hasn't done anything wrong and has had a very impressive pre-season meaning it is the experienced defender's position to lose. If Reinildo gives us defensive solidity, then Methalie gives us some attacking thrust and another option on the counter-attack.

Methalie said: “I’m really excited to be here and can’t wait to pull on a Sunderland shirt for the first time. This is a brilliant time to join the Club. I followed Sunderland’s progress last season and it was incredible to see the team finish seventh and qualify for the Europa League. When I heard about the opportunity to come here, it was an easy decision. I’m really excited to play in the Premier League and Europa League and to experience that with the Sunderland fans. I know how ambitious the Club is, and I want to help the team continue to progress and give the supporters plenty to be proud of.”

Florent Ghisolfi added: “We are delighted to welcome Dayann to Sunderland AFC. He is a player we have appreciated and followed for a long time, and we believe his qualities are very well suited to Sunderland, both in terms of our footballing identity and the personality we want within the group. Despite his young age, Dayann has already shown a lot of quality and potential, and his performances over the past year have naturally attracted interest from several clubs. Throughout the process, however, he showed a very strong feeling and desire to join Sunderland, which was important to us. He is still at an important stage of his development, so our responsibility now is to help him settle quickly, provide the best possible environment around him and allow him to continue progressing and expressing his qualities.”