MEUNIER SIGNS

Sunderland have confirmed their first signing of the summer transfer window. 34-year-old Belgium international right back Thomas Meunier joins on a two-year contract on a free deal from Ligue 1 outfit LOSC Lille.

Meunier has a raft of experience playing across Europe, having spent time in Belgium, France, Germany and Turkey, as well as having played in the Europa League. Meunier was part of the Belgium squad that came third at the 2018 World Cup and recently featured for his country at the 2026 World Cup, in which The Red Devils reached the quarter final. He has 83 senior caps and 10 goals. Additionally, he has been a domestic champion in Belgium and France, with Club Brugge and Paris Saint Germain respectively. At the latter, he won three league titles. Last season he played 35 times for Lille, scoring once, as they came third and finished in a Champions League spot. Meunier speaks fluent English, plus German, French and Flemish, so he won't have to spend time adapting to the language and can communicate with some of his teammates, as well as Regis Le Bris, in multiple languages if needs be. He will link up with the club early next month.

Our Director of Football, Florent Ghisolfi, had this to say: “We are delighted to welcome Thomas to Sunderland AFC – from the moment we started speaking, we felt he had a very positive feeling about the club. Throughout his career he has consistently performed at the highest level, representing some of Europe's biggest clubs, and Belgium on the international stage. He brings a wealth of experience, leadership and professionalism, alongside real quality in both defensive and attacking phases of the game. Thomas is a player who understands what it takes to compete for success, and we're confident his mentality and character will have a positive influence on the squad. We believe he'll make an important contribution on and off the pitch, and we're excited to see him begin this new chapter with us. It feels like a great fit.”

Meunier himself said this: “I am hugely excited and honoured to join Sunderland, I'm very happy to be here and to begin this new chapter in my career. The Premier League is one of the most competitive and exciting leagues in the world, and it's a challenge I've wanted to experience. When I spoke with the club, I was impressed by the ambition, the project and the desire to keep moving forward. Competing in Europe was also a big factor in my decision because, as a player, you always want to test yourself against the best teams and compete for trophies. I hope I can bring my experience to the squad, both on and off the pitch. I've been fortunate to play in some fantastic teams throughout my career, and now I'm looking forward to giving everything for this club, helping my team-mates and building a strong connection with the supporters. I can't wait to get started, meet everyone and play my first match in front of the fans."