How Sunderland can sign an even better player than Methalie

Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris has decided that he would like a marquee addition to his defence before the end of the summer transfer window.

The Black Cats have been pursuing a deal to sign Toulouse left-back Dayann Methalie to replace Reinildo as their first-choice option on the left side of the back four.

An offer of £28m was recently turned down by the Ligue 1 club, who are holding out for a fee of £30m before they will cash in on the young defender.

The 20-year-old talent is said to have decided that he would like to sign for the Black Cats if a deal can be agreed, but no agreement has been reached between the two clubs yet.

Why Dayann Methalie would be a risky signing for Sunderland

Signing Methalie from Toulouse would be a risky move by Sunderland for several reasons, including the fact that he has no prior experience in English football.

The young full-back has never played in England and has no experience in the Premier League, which means that it remains to be seen how well he would adapt to the physicality and technical quality of the division.

He showed promising technical qualities in Ligue 1 last season, racking up two goals and 2.21 xA, and could be an exciting attacking outlet down the left for the Black Cats.

However, his struggles off the ball could be exposed with a move to the Premier League, which is famed for the intensity and physicality that teams play with.

Methalie lost 60% of his duels in the French top-flight in the 2025/26 campaign and, therefore, may be a risky signing for Le Bris because he may struggle with the physical nature of English football.

Sunderland make offer for Dayann Methalie upgrade

Now, given that risk, the club could forget about a deal for the Ligue 1 starlet by going all-in on another left-back who is said to be in their sights.

Senegalese outlet DSports reports that Sunderland are pursuing a deal to sign West Ham United left-back Malick Diouf before the end of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Black Cats have already made contact with the Hammers and submitted an offer for the defender, but that bid was turned down by the Championship club.

It adds that the Senegal international could be sold for a fee of around £40m, with Sunderland and Brentford both vying for his signature, and it is now down to the interested parties to meet his valuation with one of their bids.

Le Bris and the recruitment team should forget about making another offer for Methalie because Diouf would be a much better addition to the squad this summer.

The West Ham left-back is a class above the Frenchman and the Black Cats should push to win the race for his signature ahead of Brentford in the coming weeks of the window.

Diouf outperformed Methalie in and out of possession as a left-back at league level in the 2025/26 campaign, winning a much higher percentage of his ground duels.

The Senegalese star has proven that he can handle the intensity and physicality of the Premier League, winning the majority of his duels on the ground and in the air, whilst the Frenchman struggled in duels in Ligue 1.

On top of being more physical than the £30m-rated Toulouse youngster, the Hammers dynamo also has more to offer as a creative threat down the left flank.

Diouf showcased his crossing ability in pre-season with West Ham last year, shining in the summer series, before he assisted five goals in the Premier League, despite their relegation to the Championship.

The 21-year-old talent, who is only one year older than Methalie, has proven that he can be effective in and out of possession at left-back in the top-flight of English football, which means that he would not be a particularly risky signing for Sunderland.

Le Bris would know exactly what he is getting with Diouf because he already has experience in the division and knows what it takes to perform, which is why the club should focus on this deal instead of pursuing Methalie.