After leaving Lille: ex-BVB star Meunier finds new club | OneFootball

Thomas Meunier is nowhere near hanging up his football boots. The 34-year-old, who enjoyed World Cup success with Belgium, now appears to be heading to the Premier League.

The right-back most recently played the last three of his 83 international matches at the FIFA World Cup. In the dramatic round-of-16 clash against Senegal, decided after extra time (3:2), Meunier set up Romelu Lukaku (33) for the vital goal to make it 1:2. In the following two knockout matches against the USA (4:1) and Spain (1:2), however, the former Borussia Dortmund pro was limited to a place on the bench.

Over the past two years, the Walloon played in France’s Ligue 1 for OSC Lille. With 81 appearances, as well as four goals and four assists, Meunier was a regular starter. His contract expired on June 30, 2026. Although the northern French club were keen to keep the veteran, the player himself chose to leave.

As transfer guru Fabrizio Romano had reported, Meunier did without the help of an agent in his search for a new club. Instead, the 34-year-old defender preferred to handle negotiations with clubs himself.

European debut

According to The Athletic, the former Dortmund man seems to be having success with that approach, as Meunier is on the verge of joining Sunderland AFC. On Tuesday (July 14), he will undergo the mandatory medical and is expected to sign a contract shortly afterwards. That would give the Belgian the chance to showcase himself on the international stage, as the Black Cats qualified for the Europa League by finishing seventh in the table.

Photo: IMAGO

Between 2020 and 2024, Meunier made a total of 83 appearances for BVB. He scored three goals and provided eight assists. After spells at Trabzonspor and Lille, he will now continue his career in Sunderland, having previously also played for Club Brugge and Paris Saint-Germain before his time with the Black and Yellows.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.