Sunderland win race for Dayann Methalie as Ghisolfi seals £25.7m Toulouse agreement | OneFootball

Sunderland have agreed a £25.7m deal with Toulouse for Dayann Methalie after fending off Newcastle United and Roma. The 20-year-old left-back is expected on Wearside to undergo a medical and complete the final formalities.

Sunderland Echo understands that both Newcastle and Roma showed serious interest this summer, but the France youth international was convinced by the project at the Academy of Light.

Methalie was drawn to the pathway for young players, Sunderland’s recent progress under Régis Le Bris and the chance to play Premier League and Europa League football.

The agreement follows a lengthy negotiation in which multiple bids were rejected before a package worth £24 million guaranteed plus £1.7 million in add-ons was reached. Sunderland also signalled they would consider alternative left-backs rather than keep increasing their offer, a stance that helped bring talks back together.

With strong rival interest, the Black Cats had to win over both Toulouse and the player. They appear to have done so, with Methalie choosing Wearside ahead of both suitors, a significant coup for sporting director Florent Ghisolfi.

Source: Sunderland Echo

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