Sunderland were set to formally announce the £25.7m signing of full-back Dayann Methalie from Toulouse, but the deal is now in serious jeopardy.
Sunderland have suffered a monumental transfer blow with the prospective signing of Toulouse full-back Dayann Methalie.
In a shocking revelation on Tuesday afternoon, Sky Sports News’ North East football reporter Keith Downie has revealed on X that Methalie has failed part of his Sunderland medical, which has resulted in the player returning to France for additional medical tests.
As a result, the Black Cats' £25.7m move for Methalie is now in serious jeopardy, given that the player had already arrived at the Stadium of Light this week ahead of completing the formalities regarding his proposed five-year deal.
At the time of the bombshell announcement, it was unclear as to which areas of the medical examination French youth international Methalie had surprisingly failed, but it has been serious enough for Sunderland to place the deal on hold.
However, in the aftermath, respected reporter Sacha Tavolieri revealed on X that a "light injury at the back" is at the centre of the issue between Sunderland and Toulouse regarding the young full-back.
Evidently, given the potential £25.7m outlay, Sunderland will be certain to make the right decision and only proceed with the signing if given the unequivocal medical all-clear.
Especially with the reported medical issue coming with Methalie's back, this is a delicate component of the saga given how explosive and athletically proficient the young French starlet is.
A further update from journalist Fabrice Hawkins on X, who has been reporting on the move, indicates that Toulouse "believe the issue is not serious enough to jeopardize the agreement with Sunderland", which breeds some hope from a red-and-white perspective.
The negative results on the 20-year-old’s medical tests are an unprecedented dilemma for the Stadium of Light hierarchy to contend with, and the bombshell has come as a seismic shock to both Sunderland and the club's supporters who were eagerly awaiting his official announcement.
Sunderland have been chasing Methalie for several weeks in the summer transfer window, with a breakthrough in the negotiations with Toulouse finally coming in recent days.
If the move was to materialise, the £25.7m prospective arrival of Methalie would stand to become the Black Cats' second most expensive signing in the club’s history, bettered only by the £30m arrival of Habib Diarra from Strasbourg last summer.
Methalie would be an ideal signing for Sunderland, given that his attacking attributes in comparison to Black Cats stalwart Reinildo Mandava could help Regis Le Bris' side evolve from an attacking perspective.
Now, it will be a nervous waiting game for those in red-and-white circles to see if the medical issue is resolved and Methalie signs, or the big-money move unfortunately falls through at the final hurdle.
