Sunderland Close in on Dayann Methalie as Newcastle Step Aside

Sunderland are on the brink of landing Dayann Methalie from under Newcastle’s nose, with the Toulouse defender expected to join Régis Le Bris’s quietly ambitious rebuild at the Stadium of Light for around £26m.

The 20-year-old France Under-21 international, a long-term Newcastle target, has been one of the most-watched young defenders in Ligue 1. Left-back, wing-back, left-sided centre-half in a three or a four – Methalie has ticked every box for scouts this summer after making 27 league appearances for Toulouse last season.

Newcastle’s recruitment team had tracked him extensively and explored a move as far back as January. He looked tailor-made for their stated strategy: young, high-upside, and sitting neatly in that £20m-£40m sweet spot. Yet when the moment came, they stepped away. Club sources have indicated no bid has gone in during this window and that they have decided against pursuing him.

Sunderland have not hesitated.

Le Bris is understood to be close to securing Methalie on a five-year deal, luring him with Europa League football and a dressing room that will feel instantly familiar. The 6ft 2in defender would walk into a French-speaking core featuring Enzo Le Fée, Nordi Mukiele and Habib Diarra, as well as a head coach who shares his footballing language and, crucially, his tactical instincts.

It would be Le Bris’s second signing of the summer, following the arrival of Belgium right-back Thomas Meunier on a free after his departure from Lille. Meunier brings experience. Methalie would bring the legs and edge of a player on the rise.

Sunderland see more than just a full-back. His blend of recovery pace, power and a composed left foot has already allowed him to operate as a left-sided centre-back, both in a back three and a conventional back four. That versatility matters. He will not stroll into the team unchallenged – Reinildo stands in his way at left-back – but he offers Le Bris options that stretch beyond one position on the teamsheet.

For Newcastle

For Newcastle, the chase moves elsewhere.

Eddie Howe still wants reinforcements on both flanks of his defence. Right-back is the more urgent concern after Kieran Trippier’s departure at the end of last season ripped out a leader and a creative outlet in one go. Cover at left-back remains on the agenda too, but Methalie will not be the answer.

The bigger question on Tyneside hovers in midfield. Bruno Guimarães’s future continues to hang on Arsenal’s next move. Newcastle’s stance is clear: it will take a fee in the region of £80m to prise the 28-year-old captain away. Arsenal must decide whether they are prepared to go that high.

Guimarães has been on holiday in Brazil following the World Cup and is due back at Newcastle on Friday. From there he is expected to travel with the first-team squad to their training camp in La Manga. Until a firm offer lands, he remains Howe’s cornerstone.

Joe Willock’s situation is less secure. Newcastle have already turned down an offer of around £10m from Besiktas for the former Arsenal midfielder, but the rejection was not absolute. The club are open to a sale at closer to £20m, a figure that reflects both his age and his sporadic impact in a side trying to push back towards the top four.

So Sunderland move boldly for a defender Newcastle once coveted, while Newcastle juggle full-back gaps, a prized captain’s future and a midfield reshuffle. One club is building around a new French spine. The other is waiting to see whether its Brazilian heartbeat will still be there when the season starts.